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SKETCHES 


PIONEERS  OF  METHODISM 


IX 


NORTH  CAROLINA  AND  VIRGINIA. 


BY  THE  REV.  M.  H.  MOORE. 


NASHV'Ii.LE,    TEN  J*.: 
SOUTHERN  METHODIST  PUBLISHING   HOUSE. 

1884. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1884, 

BY  MATTHEW  H.  MOORE, 
in  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


"He  that  goeth  forth  and  iceepeth,  bearing  precious  seed,  shall  doubtless 
come  again  with  rejoicing,  bringing  his  sheaves  with  Mm.n 


"God  bless  the  memory  of  oiu  fathers,  and  breathe  their  spirit  on  us! 
The  most  sacred  walks  on  this  continent  are  their  circuit  paths ;  the  holiest 
spots  are  the  repositories  where  they  have  been  laid  in  their  last  sleep; 
the  loveliest  flowers  seen  by  mortals  are  those  that  bloom  above  their  graves, 
symbols  of  their  brighter  glory." — The  late  Rev.  N.  F.  Reid,  D.D. 


TO  MY  MOTHER, 

Whose  holy  influence  has  been,  under  God,  the  safe- 
guard of  my  youth;  and 

TO  THE  HALLOWED  MEMORY  OF  MY  FATHER, 

Himself  the  son  of  a  Pioneer  Methodist  Preacher,  and 

who,  rejoicing  in  the  fullness  of  the  free  grace 

that  they  preached,  died  with  the  notes 

of  victory  on  his  lips; 

This  Volume  is  Dedicated,  in  Grateful  Love  and  Memory, 

by 

THE  AUTHOR. 


KIND  WORDS. 


"  Rev.  M.  H  Moore  shows  talent  for  biographical  sketch-work." — Bisiioi* 
MlTyeire,  in  Methodist  Advance. 

"  Having  read  a  number  of  these  Sketches  as  they  have  appeared  in  our 
Church-papers,  I  take  more  than  ordinary  pleasure  in  commending  the  forth- 
coming volume  to  the  favorable  reception  of  the  public.  It  promises  to  be  a 
timely  and  valuable  addition  to  our  historical  Church  literature,  and,  as  such,  I 
hereby  add  my  testimonial  to  its  value,  believing,  as  I  do,  that  it  will  prove  to  be 
one  of  the  most  instructive  and  interesting  volumes,  in  its  line,  that  has  as  yet 
been  issued  from  our  Publishing  House." — Rf.v.  Dr.  John  E.  Edwards,  Pastor 
Market  Street  Church,  Petersburg,  Virginia  Conference. 

"  Having  read  in  manuscript  portions  of  the  Sketches  of  early  Methodist 
preachers,  by  Rev.  M.  H.  Moore,  I  take  pleasure  in  commending  his  forthcom- 
ing book  to  the  reading  public,  and  especially  to  Methodist  preachers  and  people 
who  desire,  as  all  such  should,  to  familiarize  themselves  with  the  struggles  and 
triumphs  of  '  the  fathers'  as  they  planted  Methodism  in  '  these  lands.'  Brother 
Moore  has  brought  to  the  preparation  of  this  book  special  qualifications  for  one  of 
his  age,  much  labor  and  painstaking  to  make  it  accurate  and  interesting,  and  a 
sincere  and  earnest  love  for  the  work  in  which  he  is  engaged.  He  is  personally 
worthy  every  way  to  receive  the  encouragement  of  the  Church  in  his  new  field 
as  an  author;  and,  giving  us  a  book  that  will  prove  a  valuable  addition  to  our 
Church  literature,  I  trust  the  reception  and  circulation  of  'the  Sketches'  may 
be  fully  up  to  the  most  sanguine  hopes  of  Brother  Moore  and  his  friends." — Rev. 
Dr.  N.  H.  D.  Wilson,  Presiding  Elder,  Hillsboro  District,  North  Carolina  Con- 
ference. 

"  I  have  read  your  '  Sketches,'  published  in  the  Methodist  Ad7>ance,  with  inter- 
est and  profit ;  and  I  rejoice  to  learn  that  you  will  publish  them  in  book-form.  Such 
a  book  should  be  read  by  all  our  people;  and  I  trust  it  will  have  a  'great  run.' 
The  Sketches  are  well  written,  and  many  of  them  are  thrilling. — Rev.  Dr.  L.S. 
Burkhead,  North  Carolina  Conference,  in  a  private  letter  to  the  author. 

"  Brother  Moore  has  developed  a  special  talent  for  this  kind  of  work.  Besides, 
the  study  of  Methodist  history  is  with  him  almost  a  passion.  That  is  the  kind  of 
man  to  write  history.  We  predict  for  him  a  brilliant  career  in  this  useful  and  in- 
teresting department  of 'letters."— Rev.  Dr.  W.  M.  Roisev,  Editor,  in  Methodist 
Advance. 

"An  interesting  series." — Southern  Methodist  Herald. 

"  Well  written.  .  .  .  A  valuable  contribution  to  our  centenary  literature." — 
Rev.  Dr.  A.  W.  MANGUM  [Prof,  of  English  in  University  of  North  Carolina  , 
in  Southern  Christian  Advocate. 

"Valuable  history.  .  .  .  Mr.  Moore  is  a  graceful  and  pleasing  writer." — Daily 
Workman,  Greensboro,  N.  C. 

"  I  predict  for  your  book  a  large  sale." — Rev.  Dr.  W.  P.  Harrison,  in  a  letter 
to  the  author. 

"  I  have  read  with  much  edification  some  sixteen  of  the  Sketches  prepared  by 
Rev.  M.  H.  Moore  for  his  forthcoming  work — '  The  Pioneer  Methodist  Preachers 
of  North  Carolina.'  They  indicate  considerable  research  and  a  thorough  ac- 
quaintance with  the  literature  bearing  on  his  subject.  The  style  is  clear  and 
tasteful.  I  regard  his  Sketches  as  a  really  valuable  contribution  to  Methodist 
history  in  North  Carolina,  and,  indeed,  in  the  South." — Mr.  T.  B.  Kingsbury, 
Associate  Editor  Morning  Star,  Wilmington,  N.  C. 

"  I  am  greatly  pleased  with  your  work.  .  .  .  Will  have  large  sale,  I  think." — 
Rev.  F.  H.  Wood,  Pastor  /■  rout  Street  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South,  Wil- 
mington, N.  C. 

(6) 


AUTHOR'S  PREFACE. 


The  kind  reception  which  many  of  these  "  Sketches,"  in  the  form 
of  newspaper  contributions,  have  received  at  the  hands  of  the  public 
has  induced  the  preparation  of  this  volume.  The  author  has  not  at- 
tempted to  write  a  history  of  the  movement,  but  merely  to  sketch, 
in  true  and  life-like  colors,  the  characters  of  some  of  its  leading 
spirits  in  the  early  days  of  its  history,  and  to  record  their  toils  and 
triumphs.  He  has  gleaned  from  not  less  than  one  hundred  con- 
tributors to  the  history  of  Methodism,  but  has  endeavored  to  give 
credit,  as  far  as  possible,  in  every  instance,  for  what  he  has  copied. 
While  indebted  to  so  many  sources  for  information,  the  valuable 
works  of  Lee,  Bangs,  and  Stevens  have  been  his  constant  com- 
panions. To  his  brethren  in  the  ministry  who  have  so  kindly  en- 
couraged him,  and  especially  to  Dr.  Harrison,  for  his  invaluable 
services  in  editing  the  work,  he  would  gratefully  acknowledge  his 
indebtedness.  Still,  he  feels  that  his  task  is  not  yet  completed.  If  this 
volume  finds  favor  with  the  Church,  he  hopes,  under  God's  blessing, 
to  bring  the  work  down  to  the  present  day.  Such  men  as  Willis, 
Watters,  Cox,  Ivey,  Ira  Ellis,  Kendrick,.  Cole,  Joseph  and  Mark 
Moore,  Reddick  Pierce,  Enoch  George,  McKendree,  Mooring,  of 
the  early  days;  and  Fletcher,  Harris,  Hezekiah  G.  Leigh,  Moses 
Brock,  Carson,  Compton,  Brame,  Doub,  Reid,  Lowe,  and  Closs,  of 
later  times,  will,  in  that  case,  next  claim  his  attention. 

And  now,  with  the  fervent  prayer  that  He  under  whose  blessing 
these  men  were  enabled  to  perform  the  deeds  herein  recorded  will 
add  his  sanction  to  this  humble  but  sincere  effort  to  promote  his 
cause,  the  writer  commits  his  book  to  the  friendly  criticism  of  the 
public.  M-  II.  Moore. 

Chapei.  Hill,  N.  C,  Oct.  3, 1883. 

(7) 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

Introduction 11 

Francis  Asbury 15 

Joseph  Pilmoor 40 

Robert  Williams 47 

John  King 51 

George  Shadford 56 

Caleb  B.  Pedicord 70 

Edward  Dromgoole 76 

Francis  Poythress , 83 

John  Easter ; 92 

Isham  Tatum 101 

John  Dickens 106 

Jesse  Lee 118 

John  Tunnell 131 

Thomas  Coke 136 

Daniel  Asbury 167 

Philip  Bruce 180 

Reuben  Ellis 196 

Richard  Whatcoat 204 

Stith  Mead 219 

Hope  Hull 228 

John  McGee 237 

William  Ormond 248 

James  Jenkins 254 

James  Douthit 266 

George  Dougherty 271 

Richmond  Nolley 280 

James  O'Kelly 290 

Jonathan  Jackson 302 

Henry  Evans,  of  Fayetteville 310 

(0) 


IKTRODUGTION. 

BY  THE  KEY.  A.  W.  MANGUM,  D.D., 

Prof,  of  English  in  Univ.  of  N.  C. 


A  new  book !  It  is  natural  to  inquire,  Who  wrote  it?  What  about 
him?  Is  he  possessed  of  the  requisite  qualifications  for  making  a  val- 
uable book  on  the  subject  chosen?  Is  that  subject  worthy  of  special 
consideration  ?  What  is  the  object  of  the  work  ?  Is  it  likely  to  prove 
interesting,  and  to  accomplish  good? 

Rev.  M.  H.  Moore,  the  author  of  these  "Sketches,"  is  a  native  of 
Warren  county,  North  Carolina,  and  spent  his  childhood  and  youth 
in  Halifax  county,  in  that  historic  territory  which  is  distinguished 
as  the  theater  of  the  first  toils  and  triumphs  of  Methodism  in  the 
State.  He  is  an  indefatigable  student,  and  a  highly  esteemed  and 
devout  member  of  the  North  Carolina  Conference  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  South.  His  paternal  grandfather  was  one  of  the 
heroic  band  that  bore  the  standards  of  Methodism  through  the  long 
and  hard  conflicts  in  the  Virginia  Conference  in  the  first  quarter  of 
the  century.  The  home  in  which  his  mother  was  nurtured  was  for 
many  years  one  of  the  hospitable  and  bountiful  retreats  that  gave  com- 
fort and  cheer  to  the  weary  itinerants  on  old  Roanoke  Circuit.  His 
parents  were  worthy  descendants  of  a  loyal  Methodist  ancestry,  well 
fitted  to  train  their  boy  for  the  altars  of  the  Church.  Among  the 
books  in  the  family  library  that  early  engaged  his  eager  mind  were 
a  number  of  old  publications — such  as  were  written  or  circulated  by 
the  Methodist  preachers  in  their  pioneer  labors.  He  was  also  often 
brought  under  the  influence  of  the  circuit-riders  who  enjoyed  the  bless- 
ings of  his  father's  genial  fireside,  and  he  may  thereby  have  received 
impressions  from  time  to  time  that  inclined  his  thoughts  and  desires 
toward  the  Church  and  its  hallowed  labors.  Possibly  the  traditions 
that  lingered  about  the  storied  ground  in  his  native  community  awoke 
and  fostered  a  warm  interest  in  the  remarkable  lives  of  the  men  that 
first  brought  the  doctrines  of  Methodism  through  these  Southern 
lands.  Certain  it  is,  whatever  the  causes,  that  he  has  a  mind  well 
suited  to  the  task  he  has  essayed.  Thoroughly  in  love  with  his  sub- 
ject, he  has  devoted  himself  with  enthusiasm  to  patient  and  careful 
research,  and  to  a  faithful  portrayal  of  the  lives  and  characters  of  his 
moral  heroes.      Though  lie  is  vet  young,  bis  qualifications  for  his 

(11) 


J  2  Introduction. 

chosen  undertaking  have  been  made  plain  to  all  who  have  read  the 
sketches  from  his  pen  that  have  already  been  published.  These,  and 
others  that  appear  for  the  first  time  in  the  book,  show  that  he  has 
gleaned  much  valuable,  unfamiliar  material  here  and  there  among 
the  dusty,  forgotten,  fragmentary  memorials  of  the  pioneers,  and  has 
wrought  it,  with  skill  and  taste,  into  a  well-ordered,  beautiful,  and 
enduring  tribute  to  the  noble  names  that  Methodism  should  not  per- 
mit to  sink  into  oblivion.  It  is  probable  that  he  tells  to  older  histo- 
rians of  the  Church  some — perhaps  many — things  that  they  have 
never  learned  before. 

The  story  of  our  Pioneers  should,  to  the  true  Christian  heart,  prove 
one  of  perennial  freshness.  It  is  worthy  to  be  repeated  over  and  over 
to  succeeding  generations,  that  those  who  receive  and  enjoy  the  ben- 
efits secured  may  know  whom  to  cherish  and  honor  as  their  benefac- 
tors. The  few  of  the  early  Methodist  heroes  whose  names  and  deeds 
have  a  prominent  place  in  history  are  probably  no  more  deserving  of 
our  memory  and  gratitude  than  are  many  of  their  co-laborers  Avho 
are  almost  entirely  unknown.  They  were  all  veritable  conquerors  in 
the  great  moral  and  religious  conflict,  and  are  worthy  objects  of  the 
interest,  admiration,  and  gratitude  of  their  posterity.  They  and  their 
Avork  were  in  many  respects  remarkable.  As  a  rule  they  had  few  of 
those  advantages  that  are  drawn  from  the  sources  that  usually  supply 
the  means  of  influence  and  achievement  to  those  that  attain  worldly 
success.  Yet  they  not  only  contended  triumphantly  with  the  great 
difficulties  that  they  everywhere  encountered,  but  won  precious  tro- 
phies for  their  Saviour,  and  permanently  established  the  Church 
whose  doctrines  they  espoused.  The  foundations  they  laid  were  so 
deep  and  firm  that  the  future  with  all  its  changes  has  but  proved 
their  abiding  strength;  and  they  were  so  broad  that  the  constant, 
marvelous  growth  that  has  marked  the  progress  of  the  cause  has 
signally  vindicated  the  wisdom  and  foresight  of  those  that  planned 
them.  More  than  this.  So  endowed  and  so  faithful  were  they  as  to 
what  constitutes  the  true  reformer  that  they  were  able  to  impart,  and 
did  impart,  an  impulse  to  their  hallowed  work  that  made  sure  its  per- 
petuation and  ever-increasing  progress.  Theirs  was  true  greatness — 
the  greatness  that  does  not  die — the  greatness  that  sweeps  over  and 
around  the  grave,  and  marches  on  and  away,  disembodied  and  death- 
less, mighty  and  unchangeable,  to  inspire  and  strengthen  and  guide 
surviving  comrades  and  all  succeeding  hosts  that  fill  and  extend  the 
ever-advancing  columns. 


Introduction.  13 

Who  •were  these  men?  What  is  the  secret  of  their  power?  What 
gave  such  vitality  and  energy  to  their  influence,  and  perpetuated  the 
glory  of  their  words  and  deeds? 

To  answer  these  questions  is  to  utter  the  simple  truths  that  "enshrine 
the  hope  and  duty  of  the  ministry  of  this  and  every  age — the  truths 
that  reveal  the  magical  wisdom  and  fidelity  on  which  the  future  of 
Methodism — ay,  of  Christianity — depends.  They  were  men  of  like 
nature  with  ourselves.  They  had  no  special  gifts  that  we  may  not 
claim  if  we  will.  They  had  not  the  facilities  furnished  by  schools, 
by  established  society,  by  regular  Church  economy,  and  by  the  mul- 
tiform products  of  godly  experience  through  generations.  One  ad- 
vantage there  was — but  no  more  theirs  than  ours — the  doctrine  they 
embraced  and  preached,  and  the  polity  they  observed,  were  the  es- 
sential features  of  the  doctrine  and  polity  of  Methodism.  They  were 
sustained  by  profound  conviction,  impelled  by  the  unfaltering  zeal 
that  such  conviction  inspires,  ever  sensible  of  their,  tremendous  re- 
sponsibility for  immortal  souls,  thoroughly  persuaded  that  the  gospel 
they  preached  was  the  power  of  God  and  the  wisdom  of  God  unto  all 
who  would  hear  and  receive,  and  possessed  of  such  integrity  and  sound 
judgment  that  they  concentrated  all  their  powers  upon  what  God 
teaches  to  be  the  one  grand  work  of  the  ministry — the  proclaiming 
of  the  plan  of  salvation  through  Jesus  Christ,  and,  as  far  as  possible, 
bringing  every  thing  into  subservience  to  that  supreme  end.  Trust- 
ing in  Jesus  as  their  own  Saviour,  bearing  with  them  constantly  the 
witness  of  the  Spirit,  they  preached  the  gospel;  preached  it  as  the 
word  of  God;  preached  it  with  calm  trust  in  the  Lord  of  infinite 
mercy  for  success ;  preached  it  with  the  boldness  and  confidence  that 
their  own  vital,  conscious  experience  imparted.  Like  preaching  al- 
ways has  produced  like  results;  it  will  produce  them  still. 

But  while  we  praise  and  honor  the  memory  of  the  "  Pioneers,"  we 
must  not  fail  to  recognize  the  truth  that  all  that  was  great  and  good 
in  their  hearts  and  lives  came  directly  from  Him  who  is  the  author 
and  dispenser  of  all  blessings,  and  that  to  him  we  owe  an  everlasting 
debt  of  loving  gratitude  for  his  merciful  gift  of  the  infallible  plan  of 
redemption,  and  of  the  succession  of  faithful  advocates  and  ministers 
of  that  plan  who  have  so  heroically  used  the  means  he  gave  for  its 
promotion.     To  him  supreme  be  all  the  glory ! 

Still,  as  in  His  goodness  he  gave  to  them — his  servants  and  mes- 
sengers^— a  measure  of  moral  freedom,  their  lives  of  devotion  have 
won  for  them  a  righteous  claim  to  the  best  tributes  that  Christian 


14  Tntroductioi}. 

gratitude  can  give  t<>  their  precious  memory.  There  is,  therefore, 
peculiar  fitness  in  the  task  our  author  has  performed.  In  the  cen- 
tennial period  of  American  Methodism,  it  is  signally  appropriate  to 

bring  hack  to  the  mind  of  the  Church  the  almost  forgotten  heroes 
that  waged  the  first  hard  conflicts  of  Methodism  in  this  Western 

World.  They  were  not  only  heroes,  but  victors;  not  only  victors, 
hut  deliverers;  not  only  deliverers,  hut  devoted  and  loving  guardians 
and  lathers.  Duty  demands  that  their  names  he  brought  up  from 
the  silent  chamber!  of  the  past,  and,  before  those  that  are  reaping 
the  fruits  of  their  noble  toils,  be  crowned  by  filial,  faithful  hands 
with  the  laurel  of  the  valleys  and  hills  that  they  watered  and  en- 
riched with  their  tears  and  blood.  It  is  right  and  comely  in  the 
glad  and  glorious  year  of  our  centenary  offerings  to  bring  the  gar- 
lands of  grateful  affection,  and  twine  them  as  ever  fresh  and  fragrant 
memorials  around  the  names  and  graves  of  those  who  gave  their  all 
— through  trying  years — to  the  cause  of  truth  and  mercy  and  salva- 
tion. 

One  great  lesson  that  we  should  learn  from  their  life  and  work  is 
that  we  should  live  and  preach,  not  just  as  they  lived  and  preached 
in  every  sense,  but  as  we  may  consistently  assume  that  they,  with 
their  consecrated  purpose  and  godly  judgment,  would  live  and  preach 
were  they  in  our  stead  to-day. 

Who  does  not  rejoice  in  the  assurance  that  they  are  reaping  the 
everlasting  rewards  of  their  martyr  lives? 

No  sculptured  stone  in  stately  temple 

Proclaims  their  rugged  lot; 
Like  Him  who  was  their  great  example, 

This  vain  world  knew  them  not. 

But  though  their  names  no  poet  wove 

In  deathless  song  or  story, 
Their  record  is  inscribed  above; 

Their  wreaths  are  crowns  of  glory. 

Who  does  not  feel  the  desire  in  his  heart  to  be  true  as  they  were 
true,  useful  as  they  were  useful,  that  at  the  last  he  may  be  remem- 
bered as  they  are  remembered,  and  crowned  as  they  are  crowned? 


Sketches  of  the  Pioneers  of  Methodism. 


FRANCIS  ASBURY. 

THROUGHOUT  the  annals  of  the  world  and  the  Church, 
and  amid  all  the  convulsions  and  revolutions  of  the  ages, 
the  student  of  history  may  recognize  the  hand  of  Supreme 
Power  and  Infinite  Wisdom  molding  the  affairs  of  men  and 
nations.  At  the  beginning  of  each  revolution,  and  in  the 
midst  of  each  crisis,  some  figure  comes  to  the  front  to  direct 
aright  the  destinies  of  mankind.  Generally  it  is  the  case 
that  the  very  evils  under  which  the  world  has  groaned,  the 
very  thralldoms  from  which  it  is  to  be  delivered,  have  been 
so  overruled  as  to  have  become  the  very  means  for  qualify- 
ing the  commissioned  leader  for  his  appointed  work.  Joseph's 
slavery  proves  the  means  of  making  him  the  benefactor  of 
thousands.  An  inhuman  edict  leads  to  the  preparation  of 
Moses  for  the  office  of  a  great  lawgiver  and  commander  of 
the  Jewish  people.  Luther,  pining  away  in  a  monk's  cell, 
finds  in  the  old  chained  Bible  the  candle  of  Divine  Truth 
with  which  to  illuminate  the  world ;  and  his  austere  life  has 
prepared  him  to  brave  the  dangers  to  which  he  is  to  be  sub- 
jected. A  man,  to  become  a  leader  of  men,  must  know 
mankind ;  to  become  a  benefactor,  he  must  understand  the 
evils  from  which  humanity  suffers ;  to  become  a  great  relig- 
ious teacher  or  reformer,  he  must  be  in  hearty  sympathy 
with  them;  and  sympathy  is  best  learned  in  the  school  of 
a  like  experience.  Luther  spent  three  years  among  the 
peasantry  of  Germany  before  he  undertook  to  translate  the 
Bible  for  them.     An  intimate  acquaintance  with  their  sim- 

(15) 


1G  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

pie  modes  of  life  and  thought  and  feeling,  an  insight  into 
the  hidden  springs  of  their  joys  and  sorrows,  could  alone 
enable  him  to  present  to  them  in  the  language  of  their  every- 
day intercourse  with  each  other,  and  as  the  very  Bread  of 
Life — adapted  to  their  wants,  and  supplying  the  cravings 
of  their  nature — God's  blessed  "  word  written."  The  world's 
greatest  reformers  have  been  "  men  of  the  people."  In  our 
own  day,  and  in  our  own  Church,  the  greatest  leaders  among 
us  are  those  who  have  served  in  the  various  departments  of 
Church -work,  and  have  learned,  by  experience,  a  hearty 
sympathy  for  the  veteran  soldiers  of  the  cross  in  every  field 
of  labor.  To  the  British  Conference  which  convened  at 
Bristol,  England,  August  7,  1771,  from  the  wilds  of  North 
America  there  came  the  cry,  "Come  over  into  Macedonia 
and  help  us!"  John  and  Charles  Wesley,  Ingham  and 
Whitefield,had  long  before  visited  this  field;  Embury,  Webb, 
and  Strawbridge  had  for  some  time  been  forming  societies  in 
the  Middle  States;  and  for  two  years  Pilmoor,  Boardman, 
Williams,  and  King  had  been  laboring  here.  These  had 
met  with  a  sufficient  measure  of  encouragement  to  lead  them 
to  believe  that  there  was  here  an  open  door  for  the  Wesleyan 
preachers  and  a  glorious  work  for  them  to  do.  The  spirit 
of  the  Father  of  Methodism — so  well  expressed  in  the  mot- 
to of  his  life,  "The  world  is  my  parish" — had  been  deeply 
imbibed  by  all  of  his  followers,  and  the  result  was  an  ear- 
nest desire  to  send  the  gospel  wherever  there  was  hope  of 
its  being  received.  Little  did  the  Conference,  or  any  of  its 
members,  dream  of  the  mighty  results  which  were  to  follow 
in  one  hundred  years;  but  in  that  little  band  of  preachers 
there  was  one,  a  young  man  in  his  twenty-sixth  year,  wThose 
eye  had  for  some  time  been  turned  westward,  and  who  felt 
that  it  was  his  duty  to  go  to  America.  When  the  call  was 
made  for  missionaries,  Francis  Asbury  was  the  first  to  vol- 
unteer. 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  17 

His  early  history  we  prefer  to  let  him  recite  in  his  own 
language: 

"I  was  born  in  Old  England,  near  the  foot  of  Hampstead 
Bridge,  in  the  parish  of  Handsworth,  about  five  miles  from 
Birmingham,  in  Staffordshire,  and  according  to  the  best  of 
my  after-knowledge,  on  the  20th  or  21st  of  August,  in  the 
year  of  our  Lord  1745.  My  father's  name  was  Joseph  and 
my  mother's  Elizabeth  Asbury.  They  were  people  in  com- 
mon life;  were  remarkable  for  honesty  and  industry,  and 
had  all  things  needful  to  enjoy.  Had  my  father  been  as 
saving  #s  laborious,  he  might  have  been  wealthy.  As  it 
was,  it  was  his  province  to  be  employed,  as  farmer  and  gar- 
dener, by  the  two  richest  families  in  the  parish.  My  par- 
ents had  but  two  children — a  daughter,  called  Sarah,  and 
myself.  My  lovely  sister  died  in  infancy ;  she  was  a  favor- 
ite, and  my  dear  mother,  being  very  affectionate,  sunk  into 
deep  distress  at  the  loss  of  a  darling  child,  from  which  she 
was  not  relieved  for  many  years.  It  was  under  this  dispen- 
sation that  God  was  pleased  to  open  the  eyes  of  her  mind, 
she  living  in  a  very  dark,  dark,  dark  day  and  place.  She 
now  began  to  read  almost  constantly  when  leisure  presented 
the  opportunity.  When  a  child,  I  thought  it  strange  that 
my  mother  should  stand  by  a  large  window  poring  over  a 
book  for  hours  together.  From  my  childhood,  I  may  say, 
I  have  neither 

....  dared  an  oath,  nor  hazarded  a  lie. 

The  love  of  truth  is  not  natural,  but  the  habit  of  telling  it 
I  acquired  very  early;  and  so  well  was  I  taught  that  my 
conscience  would  never  permit  me  to  swear  profanely^  I 
learned  from  my  parents  a  certain  form  of  words  for  prayer, 
and  I  well  remember  my  mother  strongly  urged  my  father 
to  family  reading  and  prayer.  The  singing  of  psalms  was 
much  practiced  by  them  both.  My  foible  was  the  ordinary 
2 


18  Tlie  Pwneers  of  Metfiodwn 

foible  of  children— fondness  for  play;  but  I  abhorred  mis- 
chief and  wickedness,  although  my  mates  were  among  the 
vilest  of  the  vile  for  lying,  swearing,  fighting,  and  whatever 
else  boys  of  their  age  and  evil  habits  were  likely  to  be  guilty 
of.  From  such  society  I  very  often  returned  home  uneasy 
and  melancholy;  and  although  driven  away  by  my  better 
principles,  still  I  would  return,  hoping  to  find  happiness 
where  I  never  found  it.  Sometimes  I  was  much  ridiculed, 
and  called  Methodist  Parson,  because  my  mother  invited  any 
person  who  had  the  appearance  of  religion  to  ber  house. 

"I  was  sent  to  school  early,  and  began  to  read  the  Bible 
between  six  and  seven  years  of  age,  and  greatly  delighted 
in  the  historical  part  of  it.  My  school-master  was  a  great 
churl,  and  used  to  beat  me  cruelly.  This  drove  me  to  prayer, 
and  it  appeared  to  me  that  God  was  near  to  me.  My  father 
having  but  one  son,  greatly  desired  to  keep  me  at  school,  he 
cared  not  how  long;  but  in  this  design  he  was  disappointed, 
for  my  master,  by  his  severity,  had  filled  me  with  such  hor- 
rible dread  that  with  me  any  thing  was  preferable  to  going 
to  school.  I  lived  some  time  in  one  of  the  wealthiest  and 
most  ungodly  families  Ave  had  in  the  parish.  Here  I  be- 
came vain,  but  not  openly  wicked.  Some  months  after  this 
I  returned  home,  and  made  my  choice,  when  about  thirteen 
years  and  a  half  old,  to  learn  a  branch  of  business,  at  which 
f  wrought  about  six  years  and  a  half,  during  which  time  I 
enjoyed  great  liberty,  and  in  the  family  was  treated  more 
like  a  son  or  an  equal  than  an  apprentice. 

"  Soon  after  I  entered  on  that  business,  God  sent  a  pious 
man  —  not  a  Methodist  —  into  our  neighborhood,  and' my 
mother  invited  him  to  our  house.  By  his  conversation  and 
prayers  I  was  awakened  before  I  was  fourteen  years  of  age. 
It  was  now  easy  and  pleasing  to  leave  my  company,  and  I 
began  to  pray  morning  and  evening,  being  drawn  by  the 
cords  of  love  as  with  the  bands  of  a  man.     I  soon  left  our 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  19 

blind  priest,  and  went  to  West-Bromwich  Church.  Here 
I  heard  Ryland,  Stillingfleet,  Talbot,  Bagnall,  Mansfield, 
Howes,  and  Venn — great  names  and  esteemed  gospel  min- 
isters. I  became  very  serious,  reading  a  great  deal — White- 
field  and  Cennick's  Sermons,  and  every  good  book  I  could 
meet  with.  It  was  not  long  before  I  began  to  inquire  of 
my  mother  who,  where,  what  were  the  Methodists.  She 
gave  me  a  favorable  account,  and  directed  me  to  a  person 
that  could  take  me  to  Wednesbury  to  hear  them.  I  soon 
found  this  was  not  the  Church — but  it  was  better.  The 
people  were  so  devout — men  and  women  kneeling  down, 
saying  Amen.  Now,  behold!  they  were  singing  hymns — 
sweet  sound!  Why,  strange  to  tell,  the  preacher  had  no 
prayer-book,  and  yet  he  prayed  wonderfully !  What  was  yet 
more  extraordinary,  the  man  took  his  text,  and  had  no  ser- 
mon-book! Thought  I,  This  is  wonderful  indeed!  It  is 
certainly  a  strange  way,  but  the  best  way.  He  talked  about 
confidence,  assurance,  etc.,  of  which  all  my  flights  and  hopes 
fell  short." 

He  soon  after  found  pardon  for  sin,  and  at  the  age  of  six- 
teen began  to  read  and  pray  in  public.  Before  he  was  eight- 
een he  began  to  expound  the  word  of  God,  and  exhort  sin- 
ners to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come.  He  had  traveled  "  nine 
months  in  Staffordshire  and  other  adjoining  shires;  two 
years  in  Bedfordshire  Circuit,  and  two  in  Salisbury  Cir- 
cuit," when  he  offered  himself  to  the  British  Conference  as 
a  missionary  to  America,  and  was  duly  received.  From 
this  Conference  he  returned  home,  and  tenderly  broke  to 
his  parents  his  determination.  While  grieved  to  part  with 
him,  they  believed  him  to  be  following  the  dictates  of  Infin- 
ite Wisdom,  and  gave  their  consent  and  their  blessing.  When 
he  reached  Bristol,  to  embark  for  his  new  field,  he  tells  us 
that  he  "had  not  one  penny  of  money."  "But,"  he  adds, 
"  the  Lord  scon  opened  the  hearts  of  Mends,  who  supplied 


20  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

me  with  clothes  and  ten  pounds.  Thus  I  found  by  experi- 
ence that  the  Lord  will  provide  for  those  who  trust  in  him." 
Never,  perhaps,  did  the  blessing  of  Heaven  rest  more  abun- 
dantly upon  a  missionary  offering  than  upon  that;  never 
was  a  missionary  more  devoted  to  the  work  before  him  than 
was  Asbury.  Already  his  heart  was  in  America;  already 
his  soul  longed  to  proclaim  the  glad  tidings  of  free  salvation 
on  her  far-distant  shores. 

Accompanied  by  Mr.  Wright,  who  had  also  been  appointed 
by  the  British  Conference  to  America,  he  landed  in  Philadel- 
phia on  the  7th  of  October,  1771.  They  met  an  old-time  Meth- 
odist welcome ;  and  if  there  is  one  sect  on  earth  which  more 
than  any  other  knows  just  how  to  receive  a  minister  as  the 
embassador  of  God,  and  their  "servant  for  Jesus'  sake,"  we 
are  prepared  to  accord  that  distinction  to  "  the  people  called 
Methodists."  Of  their  reception,  Asbury  says:  "The  peo- 
ple looked  on  us  with  pleasure,  hardly  knowing  how  to  show 
their  love  sufficiently,  bidding  us  welcome  with  fervid  affec- 
tion, and  receiving  us  as  angels  of  God." 

After  spending  a  few  days  in  Philadelphia,  he  went  to 
New  York.  He  found  that  the  preachers  had  been  too 
much  disposed  to  confine  their  labors  to  the  cities,  and  im- 
mediately began  to  set  an  example  of  spreading  the  gospel 
by  traveling  out  into  the  surrounding  country,  and  preach- 
ing to  many  who  had,  perhaps,  never  heard  the  Word  of 
Life  proclaimed  before.  His  example  was  followed  by  the 
other  preachers,  and  a  new  impetus  was  given  to  the  work. 
Boardman  traveled  north  as  far  as  Boston,  and  Pilmoor  to 
the  south  as  far  as  Savannah,  Ga. 

But  the  new  missionaries  did  not  meet  the  same  cordial 
welcome  everywhere.  The  rabble,  and  in  many  instances 
the  clergy  of  the  Established  Church,  opposed  them,  and 
endeavored  by  every  possible  means  to  block  their  way. 
There  were  evils,  too,  in  the  societies  that  needed  correc- 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  21 

ion,  and  Asbury,  resolved  to  take  a  bold  stand  for  the  pres- 
ervation of  the  purity  of  the  classes,  wrote:  "Whomsoever 
I  please  or  displease,  I  shall  be  faithful  to  God,  to  the  peo- 
ple, and  to  my  own  soul."  This  noble  resolution  he  kept 
through  the  whole  of  his  long  and  eventful  ministry.  The 
contrast  between  these  earnest,  consecrated  men  and  the 
parsons  of  that  day  was  too  great  to  escape  the  notice  of  the 
world.  They  soon  drew  unto  themselves  the  veneration  and 
respect  of  those  who  feared  and  loved  God,  and  their  preach- 
ing was  so  accompanied  with  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
that  many  of  the  rabble,  who  at  first  opposed  them,  were 
brought  to  a  knowledge  of  the  truth  and  were  soundly  con- 
verted. 

As  Mr.  Wesley  was  considered,  under  God,  the  leader  of 
the  Methodist  movement,  those  whom  he  appointed  to  cir- 
cuits and  stations  were  called  "  assistants."  These  had  the 
general  oversight  of  the  local  preachers,  class-leaders,  etc. 
Their  assistants,  or  "junior  preachers"  as  they  were  after- 
ward known,  were  called  "helpers."  On  the  10th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1772,  Mr.  Asbury  received  a  letter  from  Mr.  Wesley 
appointing  him  "  general  assistant,"  or  supervisor,  of  the 
work  in  America.  This  office  he  continued  to  fill  until 
June,  1773,  when  two  other  missionaries — Messrs.  Kankin 
and  Shadford — landed  in  Philadelphia.  As  Mr.  Rankin 
had  been  longer  in  the  traveling  connection  than  he,  Mr. 
Wesley  had  appointed  him  to  supersede  Mr.  Asbury  as 
"general  assistant." 

Up  to  this  time  no  regular  Conference  of  the.  preachers 
had  been  held  in  America.  Their  business  had  been  trans- 
acted at  their  quarterly-meetings,  and,  as  no  minutes  of  the 
proceedings  were  preserved,  we  have  but  meager  informa- 
tion as  to  what  they  did.  We  learn  from  Asbury's  journal 
that  at  some  of  these  meetings  there  had  been  indicated  a 
decided  inclination  to  administer  the  ordinances  among  them- 


22  The  Pioneer*  oj  Methodism 

selves.  Mr.  Strawbridge  was  an  enthusiastic  leader  in  this 
movement,  which,  triumphing  over  various  Conference  res- 
olutions, led  to  the  organization  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  in  1784. 

The  first  regular  Conference  of  the  American  Methodist 
preachers  convened  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia  on  the  4th 
of  July,  1773 — soon  after  Mr.  Rankin's  arrival.  At  this 
time  there  were  eleven  hundred  and  sixty  members  in  the 
society  in  the  colonies,  one  hundred  of  whom  were  in  Vir- 
ginia. Pilmoor  had  traveled  and  preached  through  North 
Carolina,  on  his  trip  to  Savannah,  but  no  societies  were  re- 
ported from  this  State.  He  was  probably  the  first  Method- 
ist preacher  that  ever  preached  in  North  Carolina;  while 
probably  to  Robert  Williams  belongs  the  honor  of  forming 
the  first  society  within  her  bounds. 

After  spending  the  years  1773-4  in  Baltimore  and  New 
York,  and  the  surrounding  country,  we  find  Asbury,  in 
1775,  appointed  to  Norfolk,  Va.  This  was  a  most  wicked 
place.  Williams  and  Pilmoor  had  both  labored  here  with 
little  success ;  nor  did  Asbury  hope  to  accomplish  much  when 
he  had  taken  in  the  state  of  things.  There  were  thirty  mem- 
bers in  society,  and  an  "old  shattered  play-house"  was  the 
place  of  worship.  Nor  was  the  prospect  in  Portsmouth 
much  more  encouraging.  Here  he  found  thirty-seven  mem- 
bers, but  by  enforcing  the  discipline  he  speedily  reduced  the 
number  to  fourteen.  Discouraged  by  the  prevailing  wick- 
edness around  him,  he  wrote  in  his  journal:  "Unless  Divine 
Justice  has  determined  destruction  on  these  two  towns,  I  hope 
the  Lord  will  undertake  for  them,  and  increase  their  num- 
ber." But  he  did  not  confine  his  labors  to  these  towns.  As 
was  his  custom,  he  took  in  the  surrounding  country.  He 
found  a  little  society  near  Craney  Island,  and  another  six 
miles  from  Portsmouth,  on  the  road  to  Suffolk.  At  the  lat- 
ter place  the  little  membership,  numbering  "  thirteen  serious 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  23 

souls,"  seems  to  have  refreshed  his  spirit.  But  so  little  en- 
couragement did  he  meet  on  his  field  of  labor  that,  hearing 
of  a  glorious  revival  in  Brunswick,  under  the  ministry  o# 
Shadford  and  Dromgoole,  he  left,  with  the  feeling  of  a  man 
who  has  suddenly  emerged  from  darkness  to  light.  "I  am 
bound  for  Brunswick,"  he  writes;  and  as  he  approaches  the 
scene  of  the  revival,  "My  soul  catches  the  holy  fire  already." 

These  seasons  of  despondency,  which  he  continued  to  suf- 
fer occasionally  throughout  the  whole  of  his  ministry,  may 
be  attributed,  in  part,  to  the  state  of  his  health,  which  was 
never  good ;  and  in  the  same  fact  we  may  find  one  reason 
for  the  "variableness  of  liberty  in  preaching,"  of  which  he 
complained. 

We  must  now  pass  over  some  matters  to  be  duly  consid- 
ered in  another  sketch,  and  glance  at  the  peculiar  troubles 
which  threatened  the  overthrow  of  Methodism,  and  did  re- 
tard its  progress  for  some  years,  in  this  country.  At  the 
beginning  of  the  war  with  Great  Britain,  some  of  the  En- 
glish preachers  in  America  had  manifested  such  an  impru- 
dent zeal  for  the  cause  of  the  king  as  to  draw  upon  the 
Methodist  movement  the  odium  attached  to  Toryism.  Mr. 
Rodda  had  been  detected  in  circulating  the  royal  proclama- 
tion on  his  circuit,  and  using  his  influence  to  stir  up  a  spirit 
of  opposition  to  the  new  government.  This  imprudent  and 
unjustifiable  conduct  brought  upon  him  the  displeasure  of 
the  people;  and  fearing  their  resentment,  he  made  his  es- 
cape, by  the  assistance  of  some  slaves,  to  Philadelphia,  then 
occupied  by  the  British  army,  and  from  thence  he  returned 
to  his  native  country.  In  this  crisis,  Asbury  determined  to 
act  prudently,  but  on  no  account  to  forsake,  as  he  said,  "the 
poor  sheep  in  the  wilderness."  All  the  other  English  preach- 
ers departing,  he  wrote  in  his  journal :  "  So  we  are  left  alone ; 
but  I  leave  myself  in  the  hand  of  God,  relying  on  his  good 
providence  to  direct  and  protect  us,  persuaded  that  nothing 


24  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

will  befall  me  but  what  shall  conduce  to  his  glory  and  my 
benefit."    He  did  not,  however,  escape  political  persecution. 

The  indignation  excited  by  the  imprudent  conduct  of  some 
of  the  preachers  was  aggravated  by  a  pamphlet  published 
by  Mr.  Wesley  and  addressed  to  the  Americans,  condemn- 
ing the  conduct  of  the  people  of  the  colonies  and  upholding 
British  dominion;  nor  could  Mr.  Asbury  persuade  himself 
to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  State  of  Maryland,  re- 
quired of  him.  He  found,  however,  an  asylum  from  the 
pursuit  of  his  enemies,  and  from  the  storm  of  the  war  then 
waging,  in  the  hospitable  home  of  his  life-long  and  devoted 
friend  Judge  Thomas  White,  of  Delaware.  Here  he  re- 
mained nearly  twelve  months.  In  this  temporary  confine- 
ment we  may  trace  the  directing  hand  of  Providence;  for 
it  afforded  him  an  opportunity,  which  he  did  not  allow  to 
pass  unimproved,  for  extensive  reading  and  preparation  for 
the  work  that  awaited  him  in  the  near  future.  Nor  were 
his  gifts  as  an  embassador  for  Christ  idle  or  unemployed. 
From  his  place  of  concealment  he  would  steal  out  at  night, 
and  jDroclaim  to  dying  souls  the  word  of  life. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1778  he  left  the  house  of  his 
kind  friend  and  protector,  and  once  again  entered  upon  the 
laborious  itinerant  life  to  which  he  had  devoted  himself. 
One  of  the  first  matters  to  engage  his  attention  was  the 
healing  of  the  division  that  had  taken  place  at  the  Broken- 
back  Church,  in  Fluvanna  county,  Virginia — a  sufficient  no- 
tice of  which  will  be  made  in  another  sketch.  This  breach 
happily  closed,  the  preachers  all  entered  upon  their  work 
with  renewed  zeal,  and  a  brighter  day  dawned  upon  the 
Church.  During  the  year  1780  we  find  him  making  a 
tour  and  preaching  through  Virginia  and  North  Carolina. 
Riding  home  with  Dr.  King,  the  pioneer  preacher,  who 
had  then  located  and  was  practicing  medicine  in  Franklin 
county,  he  spent  a  pleasant  night  with  him  and  his  wife, 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  25 

and  wrote,  under  date  of  June  23:  "I  had  too  mean  an 
opinion  of  the  people  of  Carolina;  it  is  a  much  better  coun- 
try, and  the  people  live  much  better  than  I  expected  from 
the  information  given  me." 

As  Methodism  was  but  being  introduced  into  this  State, 
his  mention  of  some  of  the  first  places  visited  may  prove  of 
interest.     We  quote  from  his  journal: 

"Friday,  16th  of  June. — I  crossed  Roanoke  (North  Car- 
olina); felt  a  little  better,  though  weak.  We  rode  near 
thirty  miles ;  was  like  to  faint  in  the  carriage,  but  at  Brother 

Edwards's  felt  refreshed  and  ease  from  pain 17th. 

— Preached  at  Jones's  barn,  to  about  a  hundred  people.  .  .  . 
18th. — I  rode  fifteen  miles  to  Brother  Bustion's,  and  preached 
to  about  five  hundred  people ;  was  much  led  out  on  Isaiah  lv. 

6,  7.     The  people  were  solemnly  attentive 19th. — 

....  We  set  off  in  the  rain,  rode  over  Fishing  Creek  to 
Davis's,  ten  miles.  I  spoke  on  1  Thess.  i.  8,  9;  had  some 
light,  but  the  people  were  little  moved.  Rode  twelve  miles 
to  Gabriel  Long's,  through  the  woods.  ....  21. — I  had 
a  ride  alone  better  than  twelve  miles  to  Mr.  Duke's.  When 
I  came  there  found  about  thirty  people,  and  they  were  quite 
ignorant.     After  preaching,  I  took  dinner,  and  in  talking 

found  three  or  four  of  them  tenderly  serious 22. 

— Rode  to  Jenkins's,  and  spoke  plainly  to  about  eighty  peo- 
ple, and  found  the  word  was  fitted  to  their  cases.  Met  class. 
It  was  a  day  of  peace  to  me ;  the  Lord  was  with  me  at  this 
poor  but  good  man's  house. 

"23.  —  Rode  fifteen  miles;  preached,  prayed,  and  sung 
near  two  hours;  ate  a  little  about  four  o'clock,  and  preached 
at  Nutbush  Creek  Chapel  (a  little  log-house,  about  twenty- 
five  feet  long  and  twenty  wide)  to  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  people.  Here  I  found  a  broken  society.  Rode  home 
with  Dr.  King. 

"24.  —  Rode  to  Edmund  Taylor's,  and,  at  the  school- 


2(3  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

house,  spoke  to  about  seventy  people Was  kindly 

entertained  at  Col.  Taylor's.  They  were  for  the  ordinances 
here,  though  not  heated.  25. — Rode  six  miles  to  the  taber- 
nacle ;  about  four  hundred  people,  rich  and  poor,  attended. 
Had  very  little  liberty  in  speaking — the  people  very  insen- 
sible. I  think  these  people  must  be  awakened  by  judg- 
ments, for  it  appears  the  gospel  will  not  do  it.  .  .  . 

"Sunday,  9th  July. — Preached  at  Green  Hill,  to  about 
four  hundred  souls,  on  1  Thess.  ii.  4.  The  subject  was  new, 
the  people  dead.  James  O' Kelly  spoke  on  '  Have  ye  un- 
derstood all  these  things?'  He  raised  high,  and  was  very 
affecting,  but  to  little  purj^ose.  There  are  evils  here — the 
meeting  not  solemn ;  the  women  appeared  to  be  full  of  dress ; 
the  men  full  of  news.  These  people  are  gospel  slighters.  I 
fear  some  heavy  stroke  will  come  on  them.  James  O' Kelly 
and  myself  enjoyed  and  comforted  each  other.  This  dear 
man  rose  at  midnight,  and  prayed  very  devoutly  for  me 
and  himself.  He  cries,  'Give  me  children,  or  I  die!'  but 
I  believe  no  preaching  or  preacher  will  do  much  good  at 
present." 

These  brief  extracts  will  give  us  some  idea  of  the  religious 
state  in  which  Asbury  found  the  peoi^le  of  North  Carolina 
in  1780.  After  traveling  through  what  are  now  Halifax, 
Warren,  Franklin,  Wake,  Granville,  Chatham,  Orange,  and 
Cumberland  counties,  we  find  him,  on  the  16th  of  Septem- 
ber, at  the  house  of  Rev.  Devereux  Jarratt,  in  Virginia, 
writing  to  Mr.  Wesley  of  the  necessity  for  providing  some 
means  for  administering  the  sacraments.  The  Virginia  and 
North  Carolina  preachers  had  agreed  to  suspend  the  admin- 
istration of  them  for  one  year,  and  were  anxiously  awaiting 
to  see  what  step  Mr.  Wesley  would  take  in  the  matter.  The 
open  and  shameful  corruptions  in  the  clergy  of  the  Estab- 
lished Church  had  caused  the  people  to  refuse  to  receive  the 
sacraments  at  their  hands;  and,  moreover,  the  connection 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  27 

which  had  existed  between  that  body  and  the  State  govern- 
ment had  fallen  with  British  dominion.  There  appeared, 
then,  no  longer  any  necessity  for  remaining  in  connection 
with  it.  The  appeal  which  Asbury  made  to  Wesley  result- 
ed in  his  sending  over  Coke,  Whatcoat,  and  Vasey — the 
former  authorized  to  ordain  other  ministers  —  and  in  the 
appointment  of  Coke  and  Asbury  as  "joint  superintendents 
of  the  work  in  America."  The  new  missionaries  landed  in 
New  York  on  the  3d  of  November,  1784. 

In  the  meantime  the  war  had  closed.  The  long  suspense, 
the  fearful  anxiety  as  to  its  termination,  which  had  drawn 
the  minds  of  the  people  from  the  subject  of  religion,  were 
at  last  ended.  The  dark  clouds  which  for  seven  years  had 
hovered  over  the  colonies  rolled  away;  and  once  more  the 
sunlight  of  peace  and  prosperity  dawned  upon  the  land — 
no  longer  colonies,  but  independent  States.  But  with  this 
era  of  gladness,  Asbury,  whose  mind  was  always  engaged 
in  promoting  the  spiritual  interests  of  the  people,  sawT  a  yet 
more  threatening  danger  to  the  Church.  Adversity  may 
drive  some  to  destruction,  but  prosperity  will  ruin  many 
more.  The  people  were  elated  by  their  victory.  He  saw 
in  them  a  disposition  to  become  engrossed  with  worldly  af- 
fairs to  the  neglect  of  their  spiritual  interests,  and  he  trem- 
bled for  their  safety.  For  awhile  his  fears  seemed  to  be  well 
founded ;  but  the  ranks  of  the  world's  opposition  finally  gave 
way  before  the  earnest  preaching  of  the  pioneers,  and  churches 
sprung  up  in  the  wilderness  like  visions  responsive  to  the  ma- 
gician's art. 

On  the  15th  of  November,  at  Barrett's  Chapel,  in  Del- 
aware, Asbury  met  Coke,  Whatcoat,  and  Vasey.  Coke 
opened  to  him  Mr.  Wesley's  plan.  To  this  Asbury  object- 
ed, and  absolutely  refused  to  accept  the  position  to  which 
Wesley  had  appointed  him;  but  it  was  finally  agreed  to 
submit  the  whole  matter  to  the  decision  of  a  general  Con- 


28  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

ference  of  the  preachers,  which  was  called  to  meet  in  the 
city  of  Baltimore,  on  the  24th  of  December  following. 

As  Mr.  Wesley's  intention  in  regard  to  the  formation  of 
a  new  Church  organization  has  been  the  subject  of  much 
controversy,  we  give  below  an  extract  from  his  letter  of  ad- 
vice and  instruction,  on  which  the  preachers  acted: 

"Bristol,  September  10,  1784. 
"To  Dr.  Coke,  Mr.  Asbury,  and  oar  Brethren  in  North  Amer- 
ica : 

"  1.  By  a  very  uncommon  train  of  providences,  many  of 
the  provinces  of  North  America  are  totally  disjoined  from 
the  British  Empire,  and  erected  into  independent  States. 
The  English  Government  has  no  authority  over  them,  either 
civil  or  ecclesiastical,  any  more  than  over  the  States  of  Hol- 
land. A  civil  authority  is  exercised  over  them,  partly  by 
the  Congress,  partly  by  the  State  Assemblies;  but  no  one 
either  exercises  or  claims  any  ecclesiastical  authority  at  all. 
In  this  peculiar  situation,  some  thousands  of  the  inhabitants 
of  these  States  desire  my  advice,  and  in  compliance  with 
their  desire  I  have  drawn  up  a  little  sketch. 

"  2.  Lord  King's  account  of  the  primitive  Church  con- 
vinced me  years  ago  that  bishops  and  presbyters  are  the 
same  order,  and  consequently  have  the  same  right  to  or- 
dain. For  many  years  I  have  been  importuned,  from  time 
to  time,  to  exercise  this  right  by  ordaining  part  of  our  trav- 
eling preachers.  But  I  have  still  refused,  not  only  for 
peace's  sake,  but  because  I  was  determined  as  little  as  pos- 
sible to  violate  the  established  order  of  the  national  Church 
to  which  I  belonged. 

"  3.  But  the  case  is  widely  different  between  England  and 
North  America.  Here  there  are  bishops  who  have  a  legal 
jurisdiction;  in  America  there  are  none,  and  but  few  parish 
ministers — so  that  for  some  hundred  miles  together  there  is 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  29 

none  either  to  baptize  or  to  administer  the  Lord's  Supper. 
Here,  therefore,  my  scruples  are  at  an  end,  and  I  conceive 
myself  at  full  liberty,  as  I  violate  no  order  and  invade  no 
man's  right  by  appointing  and  sending  laborers  into  the 
harvest. 

"4.  I  have  accordingly  appointed  Dr.  Coke  and  Mr. 
Francis  Asbury  to  be  joint  superintendents  over  our  breth- 
ren in  North  America;  as  also  Richard  Whatcoat  and 
Thomas  Vasey  to  act  as  elders  among  them,  by  baptizing 
and  administering  the  Lord's  Supper. 

"  5.  If  any  one  will  point  out  a  more  rational  and  script- 
ural way  of  feeding  and  guiding  those  poor  sheep  in  the  wil- 
derness, I  will  gladly  embrace  it.  At  present  I  cannot  see 
any  better  method  than  that  I  have  taken. 

"6.  It  has  indeed  been  proposed  to  allow  the  English 
bishops  to  ordain  part  of  our  preachers  for  America.  But 
to  this  I  object:  (1)  I  desired  the  Bishop  of  London  to  or- 
dain one  only,  but  could  not  prevail.  (2)  If  they  consented, 
we  know  the  slowness  of  their  proceedings ;  but  the  matter 
admits  of  no  delay.  (3)  If  they  would  ordain  them  now, 
they  would  likewise  expect  to  govern  them ;  and  how  griev- 
ously would  this  entangle  us !  (4)  As  our  American  breth- 
ren are  now  totally  disentangled  from  both  the  State  and 
the  English  hierarchy,  we  dare  not  entangle  them  again 
either  with  the  one  or  the  other.  They  are  now  at  full 
liberty  simply  to  follow  the  Scriptures  and  the  primitive 
Church;  and  we  judge  it  best  that  they  should  stand  fast 
in  the  liberty  wherewith  God  has  so  strangely  made  them 
free.  John  Wesley." 

The  Conference  met  in  Lovely  Lane  Chapel,  in  Balti- 
more, on  the  24th  of  December,  1784,  at  10  a.m.,  and  here 
it  was  decided  to  form  themselves  into  a  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church."     Coke  and  Asbury  were  duly  elected  "super- 


30  The  Pioneer*  of  Methodism 

intendents"  of  the  same.  The  episcopal  office  was  made 
elective,  and  "the  superintendent,  or  bishop,  amenable  to 
the  body  of  ministers  and  preachers."  Elders  and  deacons 
for  the  several  States  were  elected  and  ordained,  and  rules 
for  the  government  of  the  new  Church  were  adopted.  There 
were  sixty  preachers  present,  and  Watters  tells  us  there  was 
not  a  dissenting  voice  to  the  adoption  of  Wesley's  plan. 
Black,  who  was  there  from  Nova  Scotia,  was  filled  with 
admiration,  and  wrote:  "Perhaps  such  a  number  of  holy, 
zealous,  godly  men  never  before  met  together  in  Maryland 
— perhaps  not  on  the  continent  of  America." 

On  the  second  day  of  the  session  Asbury  was  ordained  a 
deacon;  on  the  third,  an  elder;  on  the  fourth,  a  "superin- 
tendent," or  bishop.  On  the  occasion  of  his  consecration  to 
the  episcopal  office,  Coke,  who,  assisted  by  Whatcoat  and 
Vasey,  and  Mr.  Otterbein,  of  the  German  Church,  ordained 
him,  preached  a  sermon  full  of  beauty  and  power,  describ- 
ing the  obligations  01  a  true  bishop.  We  quote  a  few  elo- 
quent passages  from  the  peroration :  "  0  thou  Lover  of  souls, 
who  wiliest  not  the  death  of  a  sinner,  have  pity  on  the  world ! 
Remember  Calvary.  Hear  the  pleading  Intercessor,  and 
raise  up  men  after  thine  oavh  heart,  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
full  of  love,  and  full  of  zeal.  Guide  them  by  thy  Spirit, 
accompany  them  with  thine  omnipotence,  that  they  may 
tread  the  kingdom  of  Satan  under  their  feet,  and  build  up 
thy  glorious  Church.  You  may  now  perceive  the  dreadful 
effects  of  raising  immoral  or  unconverted  men  to  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  Church.  The  baneful  influence  of  their  ex- 
ample is  so  extensive  that  the  skill  and  cruelty  of  devils  can 
hardly  fabricate  a  greater  curse  than  an  irreligious  bishop. 
But  thou,  O  man  of  God,  follow  after  righteousness,  godli- 
ness, patience,  and  meekness!  Be  an  example  to  the  believ- 
ers in  word,  in  conversation,  in  charity,  in  spirit,  in  faith, 
in  purity.     Keep  that  which  is  committed  to  thy  trust.     Be 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  31 

not  ashamed  of  the  testimonies  of  our  Lord,  but  a  partaker 
of  the  afflictions  of  the  gospel  according  to  the  power  of 
God.  Endure  hardships  as  a  good  soldier  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Do  the  work  of  an  evangelist,  and  make  full  proof  of  thy 
ministry,  and  thy  God  will  open  to  thee  a  wide  door,  which 
all  thy  enemies  shall  not  be  able  to  shut,  He  will  carry  his 
gospel  by  thee  from  sea  to  sea,  and  from  one  end  of  the  conti- 
nent to  another.  O  thou  who  art  the  Holy  One  and  the 
True!  consecrate  this  thy  servant  with  the  fire  of  divine 
love;  separate  him  for  thy  glorious  purpose;  make  him  a 
star  in  thine  own  right-hand,  and  fulfill  in  him  and  by  him 
the  good  pleasure  of  thy  goodness." 

The  Articles  of  Religion,  as  abridged,  and  the  Prayer- 
book,  as  prepared  by  Mr.  Wesley,  were  adopted.  The 
Prayer-book,  however,  and  the  episcopal  "gown  and  bands" 
were  not  long  retained  in  the  Church,  as  they  did  not  ac- 
cord with  the  primitive  simplicity  of  the  people. 

After  the  permanent  organization  effected  at  this  Con- 
ference, Methodism  took  higher  ground,  and  moved  on  to 
greater  usefulness  and  success.  One  of  the  first  objects  that 
enlisted  the  cares  of  the  new  bishops  was  the  promotion  of 
the  cause  of  education.  Day-schools  were  established  in 
various  parts  of  the  country,  Sunday-schools  were  organ- 
ized in  the  churches,  and  Cokesbury  College — a  sufficient 
account  of  which  has  been  given  in  the  sketch  of  Dr.  Coke 
— was  founded.  The  missionary  spirit  received  a  new  im- 
petus, and  almost  immediately  after  the  adjournment  of  the 
Conference  we  find  Asbury  on  his  way  to  Charleston  to  in- 
troduce Methodism  there.  He  found  an  "  open  door,"  and 
a  society  was  soon  formed  in  that  place.  His  labors  were 
now  simply  amazing,  and  one  will  have  to  follow  him  in  his 
published  journal  to  form  any  correct  idea  of  them.  He 
was  the  central  figure  in  the  grand  movement  for  the  spread 
of  the  gospel  known  as  American  Methodism ;  and  his  his- 


32  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

tory  is  the  history  of  the  Church  for  that  period.  Not  only 
do  Ave  find  him  riding  from  the  New  England  States  on  the 
north,  to  Georgia  on  the  south,  but  across  the  Blue  Ridge 
and  Alleghanies,  and  into  the  wilds  of  Tennessee,  Kentucky, 
and  Ohio  he  bore  the  standard  of  the  cross  and  preached  the 
word  of  life.  On  these  trips  it  was  his  habit  to  travel  on 
horseback,  having  along  a  "pack-horse"  to  carry  his  bag- 
gage, and  which  was  trained  to  follow  wherever  he  led.  We 
introduce  a  few  extracts  from  his  journal  that  will  give  us 
some  idea  of  the  privations  and  sufferings  with  which  early 
Methodism  was  baptized  in  what  was  then  known  as  "the 
West." 

In  April,  1788,  he  writes:  "After  getting  our  horses  shod, 
we  made  a  move  for  Holstein,  and  entered  upon  the  mount- 
ains, the  first  of  which  I  call  Steel,  the  second  Stone,  and 
the  third  Iron  Mountain.  They  are  rough,  and  difficult  to 
climb.  We  were  spoken  to  on  our  way  by  most  awful  thun- 
der and  lightning,  accompanied  by  heavy  rain.  We  crept 
for  shelter  into  a  dirty  little  house,  where  the  filth  might 
have  been  taken  from  the  floor  with  a  spade.  We  felt  the 
want  of  fire,  but  could  get  little  wood  to  make  it,  and  what 
we  gathered  was  wet.  At  the  head  of  Watauga  we  fed,  and 
reached  Ward's  that  night.  Coming  to  the  river  next  day, 
we  hired  a  young  man  to  swim  over  for  the  canoe,  in  which 
we  crossed,  while  our  horses  swam  to  the  other  shore.  The 
waters  being  up,  we  were  compelled  to  travel  an  old  road 
over  the  mountains.  Night  came  on ;  I  was  ready  to  faint 
with  a  violent  headache ;  the  mountain  was  steep  on  both 
sides.  I  prayed  to  the  Lord  for  help.  Presently  a  profuse 
sweat  broke  out  upon  me,  and  my  fever  entirely  subsided. 
About  nine  o'clock  we  came  to  Grear's.  After  taking  a  lit- 
tle rest  here,  we  set  out  next  morning  for  Brother  Coxe's, 
on  Holstein  River.  I  had  trouble  enough.  Our  route  lay 
through  the  woods,  and  my  pack-horse  would  neither  fol- 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  33 

low,  lead,  nor  drive,  so  fond  was  he  of  stopping  to  feed  on 
the  green  herbage.  I  tried  to  lead,  and  he  pulled  back ;  I 
tied  his  head  up  to  prevent  his  grazing,  and  he  ran  back. 
The  weather  was  excessively  warm.  I  was  much  fatigued, 
and  my  temper  not  a  little  tried.  I  fed  at  I.  Smith's,  and 
prayed  with  the  family.  Arriving  at  the  river,  I  was  at  a 
loss  what  to  do ;  but,  providentially,  a  man  came  along  who 
conducted  me  across.  This  had  been  an  awful  journey  to 
me,  and  this  a  tiresome  day,  and  now,  after  riding  seventy- 
five  miles,  I  have  thirty-five  miles  more  to  Gen.  Russell's. 
I  rest  one  day  to  revive  man  and  beast." 

Again,  in  South  Carolina,  he  writes:  "Came  to  Green 
Ponds,  where  there  was  an  appointment  for  me.  I  felt  a 
little  comforted.  I  have  ridden  about  one  hundred  and 
forty  miles  in  the  last  seven  days,  through  a  very  disagree- 
able part  of  the  country  to  travel  when  the  waters  are  high. 
I  have  had  various  exercises,  and  have  suffered  hunger,  fa- 
tigue, and  fever,  and  have  not  had  a  comfortable  bed  for  a 
week  past." 

Again:  "Crossed  the  Kentucky  River.  I  was  strangely 
outdone  for  want  of  sleep,  having  been  deprived  of  it  in  my 
journey  through  the  wilderness — which  is  like  being  at  sea, 
in  some  respects,  and  in  others  worse.  Our  way  is  over 
mountains,  steep  hills,  deep  rivers,  and  muddy  creeks;  a 
thick  growth  of  weeds  for  miles  together,  and  no  inhabit- 
ants but  wild  beasts  and  savage  men.  Sometimes,  before  I 
am  aware,  my  ideas  will  be  leading  me  to  be  looking  out 
ahead  for  a  fence,  and  I  would,  without  reflection,  try  to 
recollect  the  houses  we  should  have  lodged  at  in  the  wilder- 
ness. I  slept  about  an  hour  the  first  night,  and  about  two 
the  last.  We  ate  no  regular  meal;  our  bread  grew  short, 
and  I  was  much  spent." 

Asbury's  opposition  to  African  slavery  was  earnest  and 
constant,  and  yet  regulated  by  the  dictates  of  prudence. 
3 


34  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

This  was,  unfortunately,  not  true  of  many  of  the  early  Meth- 
odist preachers. 

The  name  "superintendent"  was  in  1787  changed  to 
"bishop."  As  a  reason,  the  "early  minutes,"  in  a  foot- 
note, say :  "As  the  translators  of  our  version  of  the  Bible 
have  used  the  English  word  bishop,  instead  of  superintend- 
ent, it  has  been  thought  by  us  that  it  would  appear  more 
scriptural  to  adopt  their  term  bishop."  This,  it  has  been 
stated,  was  an  occasion  of  offense  to  Mr.  Wesley.  Perhaps 
he  thought  it  was  the  outgrowth  of  vanity.  However  that 
may  be,  he  was  displeased  on  another^account.  At  the  Con- 
ference of  1784  a  resolution  was  passed  in  which  the  preach- 
ers acknowledged  Mr.  Wesley  as  their  spiritual  father,  and 
his  right  to  govern  them.  When  it  became  known  that 
Mr.  Wesley  contemplated  removing  Mr.  Asbury  from  Amer- 
ica, this  resolution  was  rescinded,  and  Wesley's  name  was 
dropped  from  the  American  minutes.  While  this  action 
deeply  wounded  Wesley's  feelings,  it  showed  the  high  appre- 
ciation in  which  Asbury  was  held  by  his  American  breth- 
ren. 

As  a  bishop,  it  will  be  seen  that  Asbury  "  made  full  proof 
of  his  ministry."  He  traveled  as  perhaps  no  other  man  since 
the  days  of  the  apostles  has  traveled ;  and  the  one  ambition 
of  his  life  seems  to  have  been  to  devote  the  whole  of  his  time 
to  the  cause  of  Christ,  and  die  poor.  As  a  presiding  officer, 
he  was  sometimes  austere  in  his  manner  toward  those  pro- 
jecting and  defending  measures  that  he  did  not  favor.  On 
such  occasions  it  is  said  to  have  been  his  custom  to  turn  and 
sit  with  his  back  to  the  speaker;  and  yet  he  was  one  of  the 
most  affectionate  and  sympathetic  of  men.  Few  men  trav- 
eling over  the  United  States,  and  meeting  hundreds  of  classes 
every  year,  would  have  attempted  to  remember  the  individ- 
ual members ;  but  he  did  it,  and  felt  in  each  an  affectionate 
interest.     We  have  before  us  a  letter  written  to  him  bv  a 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  35 

preacher's  wife,  and  which  we  give  below  because  it  illus- 
trates this  beautiful  trait  in  his  character : 

"  North  Carolina,  Gates  County, 

Knotty-pine  Chapel,  March  17,  1799. 

"  When  you  were  with  me  last,  you  desired  I  would  give 
you  an  account  of  the  dear  saints  who  are  fallen  asleep  in 
Jesus  in  this  place.  I  will  give  you  a  list  of  their  names, 
with  a  sketch  of  some  of  their  characters. 

"  Elizabeth  Norfleet,  one  of  the  first. that  embraced  relig- 
ion after  the  gospel  was  preached  here.  She  was  one  of  the 
meekest  women — a  pattern  of  piety  to  the  end  of  her  days. 

"Ann  Gipson,  converted  from  the  height  of  pride  and  van- 
ity to  a  humble  lover  of  God  and  man ;  full  of  good  works. 

"  Mary  Hays,  a  dear,  simple,  humble,  tender,  affectionate 
woman." 

[Then  follow  similar  accounts  of  Moses  Kittrell,  Mary 
Parker,  Mary  Kichardson,  Susannah  Benton,  Mary  Has- 
lett,  Sophia  Hunter,  Mary  Tugwell,  Henry  Smith,  Mil- 
bury  Billips,  Rachel  Lawrence,  Priscilla  Graham,  Mary 
Duke,  Christopher  Reddick,  Hardy  Brown,  and  Mary 
Gregorie.] 

"  O  my  dear  brother,  while  I  write  and  think  of  the  dear 
saints  in  glory,  how  it  fills  my  heart  with  joy!  O  the  time 
will  shortly  come  when  these  eyes  shall  weep  no  more,  this 
heart,  which  is  now  the  seat  of  sorrow,  shall  cease  to  flutter 
and  beat,  and  not  a  wave  of  trouble  roll  across  my  peaceful 
breast ! 

"  I  hope  the  Lord  will  renew  your  health  and  strength,  that 
you  may  live  long  to  water  his  vineyard.  Pray  for  me  that 
I  may  be  more  holy  and  more  heavenly-minded.  Give  my 
love  to  Brother  Lee.  Mr.  Baker  and  the  children  join  me 
in  sincere  love  to  you. 

"  Your  affectionate  sister,  I.  Baker." 


36  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

For  his  parents  Asbury  always  entertained  the  warmest 
affection,  and  frequently  alludes  to  them  in  terms  of  filial 
devotion. 

It  is  well  known  that  he  was  subject  to  seasons  of  despond- 
ency. This  may  be  attributed  in  part  to  the  state  of  his 
health,  which  was  never  good.  All  along  his  pilgrimage 
we  find  him  examining  the  foundations  of  his  hopes  for  a 
better  world ;  and  if  he  did  not  feel  a  good  measure  of  the 
Divine  comfort,  it  was  to  him  a  source  of  grief,  and  an  occa- 
sion for  fasting  and  prayer.  The  financial  straits  in  which 
he  was  sometimes  placed  added  to  this  feeling  of  desponden- 
cy, as  also  the  occasional  hopeless  aspect  of  the  outlook  for 
doing  good  in  some  localities. 

The  North  Carolina  Conference  some  years  ago  received 
a  young  man  into  its  connection,  and  Bishop  Pierce  ap- 
pointed him  the  first  year  to  Onslow  Circuit.  On  reaching 
the  appointment,  the  prospect  appeared  gloomy  in  The  ex- 
treme. He  was  young;  the  people  wanted  "an  old  man 
ivith  experience."  There  were  several  church  trials  await- 
ing his  attention,  and  the  general  opinion  was  that  none  but 
an  old  man  would  do  for  the  work.  After  traveling  nearly 
around  the  circuit,  and  meeting  with  cool  treatment  in  some 
places,  he  stopped  at  the  house  of  a  good  old  brother  for 
dinner.  Taking  down  a  volume  of  Asbury's  Journal  from 
the  book-case,  on  opening  it  his  eyes  fell  on  this  passage :  "  I 
think  I  shall  have  no  more  appointments  between  New  Berne 
and  Wilmington.  The  people  of  Onslow  resemble  the  an- 
cient Jews  —  they  fear  not  God,  and  are  contrary  to  all 
men."  It  is  natural  to  suppose  that  this  passage  did  not 
relieve  the  young  man's  feeling  of  despondency,  but  the 
Lord  owned  his  labors;  nearly  a  hundred  souls  were  con- 
verted during  the  year ;  all  of  the  interests  of  the  Church 
were  advanced,  and  at  the  close  of  the  year  the  stewards 
asked  for  his  return. 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  37 

After  the  return  of  Dr.  Coke  to  England,  the  labors  of 
the  episcopacy  devolved  wholly  upon  Asbury.  The  growth 
of  the  Church,  and  his  own  feeble  health,  soon  demanded 
that  relief  be  afforded  him,  and  Jesse  Lee  was  alloAved  him 
as  an  assistant.  In  1800  Mr.  Whatcoat  was  elected  to  the 
episcopacy  to  assist  him,  and  after  Whatcoat's  death  Will- 
iam McKendree  was  elected. 

Bishop  Asbury,  we  have  said,  was  the  central  figure  of 
American  Methodism  for  nearly  half  a  century.  He  be- 
held its  origin ;  he  labored  to  promote  its  growth ;  he  was 
the  principal  leader  in  its  organization,  and  supervised  its 
development.  For  a  full  account  of  his  labors  and  suffer- 
ings the  reader  is  referred  to  the  history  of  Methodism  dur- 
ing the  period  of  his  life.  It  is  our  province  here  only  to 
bring  out  some  leading  characteristics,  and  give  such  a  con- 
densed record  of  his  life-work  as  will  bring  the  man  before 
us  in  life-like  colors. 

Perhaps  no  man  among  all  the  self-sacrificing  and  conse- 
crated spirits  with  whom  he  labored  was  less  moved  by  ap- 
plause or  reproach.  He  never  forgot  his  accountability  to 
God,  and  cared  little  for  the  opinion  of  men  when  he  was 
assured  of  the  Divine  approval. 

While  under  his  administration  of  the  government  of  the 
Church  there  appeared  several  schisms — threatening  some- 
times the  dissolution  of  the  organization  —  and  he  became 
the  object  of  bitter  reproach,  he  always  showed  a  willing- 
ness to  forgive  and  forget.  To  both  James  O'Kelly  and 
William  Glendenning  he  made  advances,  in  the  spirit  of 
his  Master,  after  his  character  had  been  bitterly  assailed  by 
them,  and  they  all  died  at  peace  with  each  other. 

His  dislike  of  parade  amounted  almost  to  fanaticism.  It 
was  with  great  difficulty  that  he  could  ever  be  induced  to 
allow  his  portrait  to  be  taken;  and  the  following  extract 
from  his  journal,  on  the  occasion  of  a  visit  to  Augusta,  Ga., 


38  The  Pioneers  of  Meihodiem 

is  a  further  evidence  of  this  feature  in  his  character.  The 
■wonder  is  that  such  a  man  could  ever  have  been  induced  to 
wear  the  "canonicals"  and  use  a  prayer-book: 

"And,  behold,  here  is  a  bell  over  the  gallery — and  cracked 
too.  May  it  break !  It  is  the  first  I  ever  saw  in  a  house  of 
ours  in  America;  I  hope  it  will  be  the  last.'' 

Like  all  of  the  early  Methodist  bishops,  he  lived  and  died 
a  bachelor.  In  his  journal  he  gives  us  his  reasons  for  this 
course.     We  quote: 

"  If  I  should  die  in  celibacy,  which  I  think  quite  proba- 
ble, I  give  the  following  reasons  for  what  can  scarcely  be 
called  my  choice:  I  was  called  in  my  fourteenth  year.  I 
began  my  public  exercises  between  sixteen  and  seventeen. 
At  twenty-one  I  traveled.  At  twenty-six  I  came  to  Amer- 
ica. Thus  far  I  had  reasons  enough  for  a  single  life.  It 
had  been  my  intention  of  returning  to  England  at  thirty 
years  of  age,  but  the  war  continued,  and  it  was  ten  years 
before  we  had  a  settled,  lasting  peace.  This  was  no  time  to 
marry  or  be  given  in  marriage.  At  forty-nine  I  was  or- 
dained superintendent -bishop  in  America.  Amongst  the 
duties  imposed  upon  me  by  my  office  was  that  of  traveling 
extensively,  and  I  could  hardly  expect  to  find  a  woman  with 
grace  enough  to  enable  her  to  live  but  one  week  out  of  the 
fifty-two  with  her  husband.  Besides,  what  right  has  any 
man  to  take  advantage  of  the  affections  of  a  woman,  make 
her  his  wife,  and  by  a  voluntary  absence  subvert  the  whole 
order  and  economy  of  the  marriage  state,  by  separating  those 
whom  neither  God,  nature,  nor  the  requirements  of  civil 
society  permit  long  to  be  put  asunder?  It  is  neither  just 
nor  generous.  I  may  add  to  this  that  I  had  little  money, 
and  with  this  little  administered  to  the  necessities  of  a  be- 
loved mother  until  I  was  fifty -seven.  If  I  have  done 
wrong,  I  hope  God  and  the  sex  will  forgive  me.  It  is 
my  duty  now  to  bestow  the  pittance  I  may  have  to  spare 


In  Xorth  Carolina  and  Virginia.  39 

upon  the  widows  and  fatherless  girls  and  poor  married 
men." 

In  1813  he  received  an  invitation  from  the  British  Con- 
ference to  visit  again  his  native  land — the  Conference  kind- 
ly engaging  to  pay  the  expenses  of  the  visit — but  his  work 
in  America,  and  his  constantly  failing  health,  would  not 
permit  him  to  do  so. 

From  Methodist  friends  in  the  State  of  Maryland,  who 
had  died  childless,  he  had  received  legacies  amounting  to 
about  two  thousand  dollars.  In  1813  he  made  his  will,  ap- 
pointing Bishop  McKendree  and  Revs.  Daniel  Hill  and 
Henry  Boehm  its  executors,  and  leaving  the  whole  of  his 
effects  to  the  Book  Concern. 

He  continued  his  public  labors  as  long  as  his  strength 
would  permit,  and  preached  his  last  sermon  in  the  old  Meth- 
odist church,  in  Richmond,  Va.,  at  three  o'clock  Sunday 
afternoon,  March  24,  1816.  One  of  the  last  entries  in  his 
journal  reads:  "My  consolations  are  great.  I  live  in  God 
from  moment  to  moment."  Endeavoring  to  reach  Balti- 
more, where  the  General  Conference  was  to  be  held,  he  pro- 
ceeded northward  with  his  faithful  traveling  companion  Bond, 
but  when  they  reached  the  house  of  Mr.  George  Arnold,  in 
Spottsylvania,  it  became  evident  that  the  Bishop  was  too 
weak  to  travel  farther,  and  indeed  that  the  end  was  near. 
He  now  began  to  fail  rapidly,  and  on  Sunday,  March  31, 
181G,  he  entered  into  rest.  When  too  weak  to  answer  the 
questions  asked  him  concerning  his  confidence  in  Christ,  he 
replied  by  raising  both  hands  toward  heaven.  His  remains 
were  first  interred  in  the  family  burying-ground  of  Mr.  Ar- 
nold, but  were  removed,  by  order  of  the  General  Confer- 
ence, to  Baltimore,  and  re'interred  beneath  the  altar  of 
Eutaw  Street  Church.  Bishop  McKendree  preached  a 
memorial  -  sermon  on  the  occasion,  and  a  procession,  in- 
cluding all  the  members   of  the  General   Conference  and 


40  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

hundreds  of  other  clergymen  of  various  denominations,  fol- 
lowed the  remains  to  their  last  resting-place. 

He  had  finished  his  course,  but  his  example  of  ministerial 
integrity  and  devotedness  to  Christ  remained  as  his  richest 
legacy  to  the  Church ;  and  the  story  of  his  pure  and  useful 
life  will  continue  to  awaken  the  spirit  of  self-sacrifice  and 
devotion  in  the  hearts  of  God's  "sacramental  hosts"  as  long 
as  it  is  told.  

JOSEPH  PILMOOR. 

TT^HE  name  of  Joseph  Pilmoor  is  connected  with  the 
_L  early  dawn  of  American  Methodism,  and  is  indelibly 
engraved  on  the  very  foundation-stones  of  the  structure 
which  the  Wesleyan  movement  in  this  country  has  reared. 
He  came  to  America  in  response  to  the  earnest  appeal  for 
preachers,  made  by  Captain  Webb  of  Mr.  Wesley  and  laid 
by  the  latter  before  the  British  Conference  of  1769.  There 
were  at  that  time  a  few  scattering  societies  in  a  few  of  the 
Middle  States,  formed  under  the  energetic  labors  of  Webb 
and  Strawbridge,  but  these  felt  the  pressing  necessity  for  ex- 
perienced ministers,  and  were  all  the  more  solicitous  because 
of  the  golden  opportunity  for  doing  good  which  they  saw  in 
the  New  World.  The  Conference  which  sat  in  Bristol  this 
year  celebrated  its  twenty-sixth  anniversary.  It  numbered 
but  forty-six  circuits  and  less  than  twenty-nine  thousand 
members.  The  preachers  were  nearly  all  poor,  more  than 
two-thirds  of  them  remaining  unmarried  because  unable  to 
provide  for  families.  A  trip  across  the  Atlantic  at  that  day 
was  a  serious  adventure,  and  the  prospect  which  offered  it- 
self in  America — where  they  had  no  churches  and  no  assur- 
ances of  even  the  most  meager  support,  and  where  they 
would  be  separated,  in  time  of  want,  by  three  thousand  miles 
of  water  from  all  to  whom  they  could  look  for  help — was  one 
that  called  for  the  exercise  of  no  little  daring  to  undertake. 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  41 

It  is  not  at  all  surprising,  then,  that  when  Mr.  Wesley 
first  made  the  call  for  missionaries  there  was  no  response. 
On  the  next  morning,  when  the  Conference  reassembled, 
after  Mr.  Wesley  had  preached  from  the  text,  "I  have 
nourished  and  brought  up  children  and  they  have  rebelled 
against  me,"  the  appeal  was  renewed,  and  Richard  Board- 
man  and  Joseph  Pilmoor  deliberately  offered  themselves  and 
were  accepted.  Notwithstanding  the  poverty  of  the  preach- 
ers, notwithstanding  the  fact  that  their  Conference-debt  was 
nearly  thirty  thousand  dollars,  and  notwithstanding  the 
question  had  just  been  asked,  "What  is  reserved  for  contin- 
gent expenses?"  and  answered,  "Nothing,"  they  took  up  a 
collection  among  themselves,  and  generously  contributed 
three  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  to  the  new  enterprise. 

Pilmoor  is  described  as  a  man  of  marked  courage,  pleas- 
ing address,  commanding  presence,  great  executive  capacity, 
and  an  easy  flow  of  language.  He  had  been  converted,  in 
his  sixteenth  year,  under  the  preaching  of  Mr.  Wesley,  and 
had  been  educated  at  Wesley's  celebrated  Kingswood  School. 
He  had  joined  the  Conference  in  1765,  and  his  four  years 
of  itinerant  service  had  been  spent  in  Cornwall  and  Wales. 
His  fellow-missionary — Mr.  Boardman,  whom  Mr.  Wesley 
appointed  "assistant"  or  "superintendent"  of  the  work  in 
America — was  two  years  his  senior  in  the  ministry,  and, 
thirteen  years  later,  was  to  leave  to  the  world  a  name  em- 
balmed in  the  most  fragrant  memories  of  Wesleyan  Meth- 
odism. 

After  receiving  the  appointment  of  the  Conference  and 
the  blessing  of  their  brethren,  the  missionaries  set  sail  for 
the  New  World,  and,  after  a  fearfully  stormy  voyage  of  nine 
weeks,  landed  at  Gloucester  Point,  six  miles  south  of  Phila- 
delphia, on  the  24th  of  October,  1769.  It  is  a  singular  co- 
incidence that  at  the  same  time,  and  amid  the*  same  storms, 
that  Wesley's  first  missionaries  were  first  coming  to  this 


42  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

country,  George  Whitefield  was  making  his  thirteenth  pas- 
sage across  the  Atlantic  and  his  final  visit  to  America,  to 
find  here  a  grave  far  from  the  land  of  his  nativity.  On 
arriving  in  Philadelphia,  he  gave  the  new  laborers  his  bless- 
ing, welcoming  them  to  the  fields  that  had  already  been 
made  "white  unto  the  harvest"  under  his  own  apostolical 
preaching. 

Immediately  after  their  arrival,  Pilmoor  preached  from 
the  steps  of  the  old  State  House,  on  Chestnut  street.  A 
week  afterward  he  wrote  to  Mr.  Wesley  that  he  "  was  not  a 
little  surprised  to  find  Captain  Webb  in  town,  and  a  society 
of  about  one  hundred  members.  This  is  the  Lord's  doing, 
and  it  is  marvelous  in  our  eyes.  I  have  preached  several 
times,  and  the  people  flock  to  hear  in  multitudes.  Sunday 
night  I  went  out  upon  the  common.  I  had  the  stage  ap- 
pointed for  the  horse-race  for  my  pulpit,  and  I  think  between 
four  and  five  thousand  hearers,  who  heard  with  attention 
still  as  night.  Blessed  be  God  for  field-preaching!  There 
seems  to  be  a  great  and  effectual  door  opening  in  this  coun- 
try, and  I  hope  many  souls  will  be  gathered  in." 

After  spending  five  months  in  Philadelphia,  he  went  to 
Kew  York,  and  from  that  city  wrote  to  Mr.  Wesley  and  the 
British  Conference,  asking  their  continued  sympathies  and 
prayers,  and  appealing  for  more  laborers  in  the  vineyard. 
"We  are  at  present,"  he  wrote,  "far  from  you,  and  whether 
we  shall  ever  be  permitted  to  see  you  again,  God  only  knows. 
Dear  brethren,  I  feel  you  present  while  I  write.  But  O 
the  Atlantic  is  between  us !  O  this  state  of  trial,  this  state 
of  mutability!  This  is  not  our  home!  this  is  not  our  rest! 
After  a  little  while  we  shall  rest.  Our  coming  to  America 
has  not  been  in  vain.  The  Lord  has  been  pleased  to  bless 
our  feeble  attempts  to  advance  his  kingdom  in  the  world. 
Many  have  believed  the  report,  and  unto  some  the  arm  of 
the  Lord  has  been  revealed.     There  begins  to  be  a  shaking 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  43 

among  the  dry  bones,  and  they  come  together  that  God  may 
breathe  upon  them."  He  reports  "about  a  hundred  mem- 
bers in  society,  besides  probationers,"  and  urges  Wesley  to 
send  other  preachers  to  their  assistance,  stating  that  they 
were  so  confined  to  the  cities  that  they  could  not  get  out 
into  the  surrounding  country.  He  did,  however,  make  sev- 
eral visits  into  the  adjacent  country,  which  bore  lasting  fruit. 
At  New  Kochelle — whither  he  had  gone  in  company  with 
Williams — "they  found  a  little  company  gathered  for  wor- 
ship, at  the  house  of  Frederick  Deveau.  A  clergyman  pres- 
ent refused  Pilmoor  the  privilege  of  addressing  the  meeting, 
but  the  wife  of  Deveau,  lying  sick  in  an  adjacent  room,  saw 
him  through  the  opened  door,  and  gave  him  a  mysterious 
recognition.  During  her  illness  she  had  had  much  trouble 
of  mind.  She  had  dreamed  that  she  was  wandering  in  a 
dismal  swamp,  without  path,  or  light,  or  guide;  when,  ex- 
hausted with  fatigue  and  about  to  sink  down  hopeless,  a 
stranger  appeared  with  a  light  and  led  her  out  of  the  miry 
labyrinth.  At  the  first  glance  she  now  identified  Pilmoor 
with  the  apparition  of  her  dream,  and  appealed  to  him  from 
her  sick-bed  to  preach  to  her  and  the  waiting  company.  He 
did  so,  and  while  '  he  was  offering  to  all  a  present,  full,  free 
salvation,'  the  invalid  was  converted,  and  in  a  few  days  died 
triumphant  in  the  Lord!"  This  event,  attracting  general 
attention,  led  to  the  effectual  introduction  of  Methodism  into 
New  Kochelle. 

In  the  month  of  April,  1772,  we  find  Pilmoor  starting  out 
on  a  journey  to  the  South.  He  spent  several  months  in 
Eastern  Virginia,  making  Norfolk  his  central  point.  Here 
his  preaching  drew  upon  him  the  opposition  not  only  of  the 
world  but  of  the  Established  clergy.  It  is  said  that  when* 
he  had  left  the  city  on  one  occasion,  a  minister  of  the  Es- 
tablishment, who  did  not  like  his  appeals  for  holy  living, 
attempted  a  reply,  took  for  his  text,  "Be  not  overmuch 


44  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

righteous,"  aud  in  the  course  of  his  remarks  informed  his 
hearers  "he  knew  by  experience  the  evils  of  this  course." 
AY  hen  Pilmoor  returned,  having  heard  of  the  matter,  he 
announced  as  his  text,  "Be  not  overmuch  wicked."  He 
began  by  stating  that  he  had  understood  that  a  certain 
preacher  in  the  city  had  been  warning  the  people  against 
being  overmuch  righteous;  then,  raising  his  hands  toward 
heaven,  he  exclaimed,  "And  in  Norfolk  he  delivered  this 
caution!" 

The  religious  state  of  this  place  is  well  illustrated  by  a 
little  anecdote  that  has  come  down  to  us.  As  Pilmoor  was 
passing  through  Portsmouth  on  one  occasion  he  found,  at 
the  ferry,  two  men  indulging  in  the  most  horrible  profanity 
"  Well,"  said  he  in  a  stern  voice,  and  uplifting  his  hands 
"  if  I  had  been  brought  to  this  place  blindfolded,  I  should 
have  known  I  was  near  Norfolk." 

From  Norfolk  he  continued  his  preaching  tour,  through 
eastern  North  and  South  Carolina,  to  Savannah,  Georgia. 
He  was  the  first  Methodist  preacher  to  place  foot  on  North 
Carolina  soil,  though  to  Robert  Williams  belongs  the  honor 
of  forming  the  first  society  in  this  State.  In  South  Caro- 
lina he  was  destined  to  encounter  persecution.  "At  Charles- 
ton he  could  obtain  no  place  for  j)reaching  but  the  theater, 
where,  while  fervently  delivering  a  sermon,  suddenly  the 
table  used  by  him  for  a  pulpit,  with  the  chair  he  occupied, 
disappeared,  descending  through  a  trap-door  into  the  cellar. 
Some  wags  of  the  'baser  sort'  had  contrived  the  trick  as 
a  practical  joke.  Nothing  discouraged,  however,  the  preach- 
er, springing  upon  the  stage  with  the  table  in  his  hands,  in- 
vited the  audience  to  the  adjoining  yard,  adding  pleasantly, 
'  Come  on,  my  friends ;  wTe  will,  by  the  grace  of  God,  defeat 
the  devil  this  time,  and  not  be  driven  by  him  from  our  work,' 
and  then  quietly  finished  his  discourse." 

After  preaching  to  large  congregations  and  adding  many 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  45 

seals  to  his  ministry,  he  returned  to  Philadelphia,  in  time 
to  welcome,  in  the  month  of  November,  the  new  recruits, 
Richard  Wright  and  Francis  Asbury,  whom  Mr.  Wesley 
had  sent  over. 

We  pass  over  the  little  unpleasantness  that  occurred  be- 
tween Pilmoor  and  Wright  and  Asbury,  on  account  of  the 
seeming  austerity  of  the  latter,  and  which  resulted  in  Mr. 
Wesley's  sending  over  Thomas  Rankin  as  "superintendent," 
The  matter  was  a  trivial  one,  and  the  tenderest  relations 
were  soon  restored. 

Seeing  that  Avar  between  the  colonies  and  the  mother- 
country  was  inevitable,  Pilmoor  and  Boardman,  on  the  2d 
of  January,  1774,  "after  commending  the  Americans  to 
God,"  set  sail  for  their  native  land.  On  arriving  in  En- 
gland, Pilmoor  hesitated  to  reenter  the  itinerancy,  and  his 
name  is  reported  on  the  Wesleyan  Minutes  for  1774  as  "de- 
sisting from  traveling,"  but  in  1776  we  find  him  assigned 
to  an  appointment  in  London.  He  was  afterward  appointed 
to  Norwich,  Edinburgh,  Dublin,  Nottingham,  and  York. 

In  1784,  he  became  offended  with  Wesley,  and  retired 
from  the  Connection.  The  cause  of  this  offense  seems  to 
have  been  the  failure  of  Mr.  Wesley  to  include  him  in  the 
"  Deed  of  Declaration,"  by  which  provision  was  made  for 
the  constitution  of  the  Methodist  Conference  by  the  appoint- 
ment of  one  hundred  preachers  who  should  legally  represent 
that  body  after  Wesley's  death.  The  most  important  pro- 
ceeding of  the  British  Conference  of  1784  was  its  confirma- 
tion of  this  "  Deed  of  Declaration,"  and  it  was  signalized  by 
one  of  the  most  exciting  scenes  that  ever  took  place  in  a 
Methodist  Conference.  Of  it,  Dr.  Stevens  says:  "John 
Hampson,  sr.,  and  his  son  John  Hampson,  jr.,  with  William 
Eels  and  Joseph  Pilmoor,  endeavored  to  form  a  party  among 
the  preachers  against  it,  the  apparent  reason  of  their  oppo- 
sition being  the  fact  that  their  names  had  not  been  inserted 


46  Tlie  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

among  the  one  hundred  appointed  by  the  deed  to  be  the 
legal  Conference  after  Wesley's  death.  The  debate  in  the 
session  became  violent  and  personal.  Fletcher  was  present, 
and  by  his  pious  influence  produced  a  temporary  reconcilia- 
tion. In  the  height  of  the  dispute  his  words  were  as  oil 
poured  on  the  troubled  waters.  '  Never,'  says  a  young  itin- 
erant who  was  present,  '  never,  while  memory  holds  her  seat, 
shall  I  forget  with  what  ardor  and  earnestness  Mr.  Fletcher 
expostulated,  even  on  his  knees,  both  with  Wesley  and 
the  preachers.  To  the  former  he  said,  "  My  father,  my  fa- 
ther! they  have  offended,  but  they  are  your  children!"  To 
the  latter  he  said,  "  My  brethren,  my  brethren !  he  is  your 
father!"  and  then,  portraying  the  work  in  which  they  were 
unitedly  engaged,  fell  again  on  his  knees,  and  with  much 
fervor  and  devotion  engaged  in  prayer.  The  Conference 
was  bathed  in  tears — many  sobbed  aloud.' " 

Of  this  affair,  Wesley  wrote  in  his  journal:  "Four  of  our 
brethren,  after  long  debate,  acknowledged  their  fault,  and 
all  that  was  past  was  forgotten."  He  was  mistaken.  They 
all  withdrew  from  the  Connection,  except  Eels,  and  he  did 
so  three  years  later. 

Pilmoor  afterward  returned  to  America,  took  orders  in 
the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  and  became  pastor  of  a 
Church  in  New  York.  He  was  afterward  rector  of  St. 
Paul's  Church  in  Philadelphia,  and  frequently  and  gladly 
admitted  Asbury,  Coke,  and  other  Methodist  preachers  to 
his  pulpit.  The  University  of  Pennsylvania  honored  him 
with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity.  Asbury  held  him 
in  loving  esteem,  and  as  late  as  April,  1814,  writes  of  him 
in  his  journal:  "Joseph  Pilmoor  is  yet  alive,  and  preaches 
three  times  every  Sabbath." 

He  never  forgot  his  old  attachment  for  his  Methodist 
brethren,  attending  their  Conference  sessions  when  conven- 
ient, and  paying  an  annual  subscription  to  their  preachers' 


Ill  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  47 

fund.  He  overcame  his  feelings  of  displeasure  toward  Mr. 
Wesley,  as  the  following  extract  from  a  letter  from  him  to 
Atmore  will  show:  "This  will  be  handed  to  you  by  Dr. 
Coke,  who  leaves  this  country  sooner  than  he  intended  on 
account  of  the  death  of  that  truly  great  man,  John  Wesley. 
For  some  years  I  have  been  pleasing  myself  with  the  thought 
of  seeing  him  again  before  his  departure  to  paradise,  but  I 
am  too  late.  I  always  most  affectionately  loved  him,  and 
shall  feel  a  special  regard  for  him  even  in  heaven  itself.  If 
there  be  any  thing  which  touches  my  heart,  it  is  a  concern 
for  those  preachers  who  were  in  the  work  before  you  or  I 
ever  heard  of  Methodism,  and  I  entreat  you  to  treat  them 
with  most  tender  respect.  Yes,  my  friend,  I  do  and  shall 
eternally  love  you ;  and  if  I  must  not  see  you  any  more  upon 
earth,  I  shall  shortly  meet  you  before  the  throne  of  God." 

He  went  down  to  his  grave  full  of  years  and  labors.  The 
end  of  his  life  was  peace.  His  love  for  Methodism  and  her 
preachers  waxed  warmer  as  he  neared  eternity,  and  the  fol- 
lowing beautiful  tribute  to  his  memory,  by  a  Methodist 
preacher,  is  a  suitable  epitaph  for  his  tomb:  "The  truly 
evangelical  spirit  produced  through  his  instrumentality  in 
the  congregations  over  which  he  presided,  and  a  correspond- 
ent attention  to  some  of  the  peculiar  means  of  grace  which 
he  introduced  among  them,  continued  to  manifest  themselves 
for  a  number  of  vears  after  his  death." 


ROBERT  WILLIAMS. 

THE  subject  of  this  sketch  formed  the  first  circuit  in 
Virginia,  and  organized  the  first  Methodist  Society 
in  North  Carolina.  He  was  second  to  no  one  in  the  his- 
tory of  American  Methodism  for  zeal  and  usefulness  during 
the  period  of  his  ministry;  and  while  his  mortal  remains 
await,  in  an  unknown  grave,  the  final  summons  to  eternal 


48  T7ie  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

glory  and  rest,  his  name  will  be  perpetuated  as  long  as  the 
story  of  the  Wesleyan  movement  is  told.  He  was  born  in 
England,  but  removed  to  Ireland,  and  there  first  labored 
as  a  1< Kial  preacher.  Eager  to  extend  the  kingdom  of  Ch rial , 
he  Boon  turned  his  eyes  toward  America,  where  a  few  lay 
preachers  were  then  organizing  societies.  Obtaining  per- 
mission from  Mr.  Wesley  to  go,  he  sold  his  horse  to  pay  his 
debts,  and  set  sail  for  New  York  with  no  other  worldly  pos- 
sessions than  "  a  pair  of  saddle-bags,  containing  a  few  pieces 
of  clothing,  a  loaf  of  bread,  and  a  bottle  of  milk."  A  stanch 
friend  of  the  Methodists,  Mr.  Ashton,  who  came  over  on  the 
same  ship,  had  encouraged  him  to  come  by  offering  to  pay 
his  passage,  and  has  thereby  merited  the  everlasting  grati- 
tude of  American  Methodists. 

Thus  kindly  assisted,  Williams  landed  in  New  York  in 
the  fall  of  1769,  shortly  before  the  arrival  of  Boardman 
and  Pilmoor  in  Philadelphia.  He  immediately  began  to 
preach  in  Embury's  Chapel.  He  did  not  confine  himself 
to  the  city,  however,  but  took  in  the  surrounding  country, 
where  his  labors  were  blessed  in  the  conversion  of  many 
souls.  In  1771  we  find  him  stationed  at  John  Street  Church 
for  some  time.  From  here  he  started  toward  the  South. 
After  laboring  with  Strawbridge,  in  Baltimore  county  and 
on  the  eastern  shore  of  Maryland,  we  find  him  early  in  1772 
in  Norfolk,  Va.  His  novel  appearance  elicited  general  at- 
tention. Standing  on  the  steps  of  the  court-house,  he  began 
to  sing.  The  people  gathered  around,  attracted  by  the  un- 
usual proceeding,  and  wondering  what  it  meant.  After 
singing,  the  preacher  prayed.  He  then  announced  his 
text,  and,  in  old  Methodist  fashion,  warned  them  to  flee 
from  the  wrath  of  God,  and  be  saved  from  their  sins.  If 
the  preacher's  appearance  seemed  novel,  his  preaching  Avas 
more  so.  The  words  "hell,"  "devil,"  "damnation,"  etc., 
were  freely  used  in  the  sermon,  and  the  people  declared 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  49 

that  lie  was  swearing.  The  universal  verdict  was  that  he 
was  an  escaped  madman,  and  in  the  metropolis  of  hospitable 
Virginia  no  door  was  opened  to  him.  But  undaunted  by  the 
seeming  failure,  Williams  persevered,  hearts  were  touched, 
homes  were  opened,  the  word  took  root,  souls  were  convert- 
ed, a  society  was  formed,  and  it  is  said  that  the  first  Meth- 
odist church  in  Norfolk  was  built  on  the  very  spot  where 
he  first  stood  and  sung  and  preached  to  the  rabble  who 
gathered  about  him.  From  Norfolk,  at  the  request  of  Isaac 
Luke,  who  had  heard  him  there,  and  who  had  become  con- 
cerned about  the  state  of  his  soul,  Williams  went  to  Ports- 
mouth. Here,  in  the  shade  of  two  persimmon-trees,  Luke 
had  seats  provided  for  the  congregation,  and  here  Will- 
iams preached  the  first  Methodist  sermon  ever  heard  in  that 
town.  He  continued  his  labors,  preaching  in  the  open  air 
and  in  private  houses,  until  quite  a  number  were  brought 
under  deep  conviction  and  induced  to  forsake  their  sins. 
Isaac  Luke  was  so  deeply  concerned  about  his  soul's  safety 
that  his  friends  were  for  awhile  afraid  that  he  was  dement- 
ed ;  but  he  was  soon  "  happily  converted,  and  became  a 
pious  and  useful  member  of  the  Methodist  Church,  in 
which  some  of  his  descendants  remain  to  this  day."  He, 
with  a  few  others,  fitted  up  a  warehouse  as  a  preaching- 
place  for  Williams,  who  now  "thanked  God,  and  took  cour- 
age." 

Early  in  1773,  at  the  invitation  of  Gussett  Davis  and 
Nathaniel  Young,  Williams  went  to  Petersburg,  and  began 
to  preach  holiness  of  life.  No  immediate  fruit  appearing, 
he  procured  a  horse,  went  out  into  the  adjacent  country  on 
a  preaching  tour,  and  soon  a  most  wonderful  revival  broke 
out.  The  flame  soon  extended  over  into  North  Carolina. 
Brunswick  Circuit  was  formed,  and  the  next  year  three  other 
preachers  were  sent  to  it. 

The  religious  aspect  of  Virginia  when  "Williams  first  en- 
4 


50  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

tered  the  State  was  simply  deplorable.  The  pious  Mr.  Jar- 
ratt,  rector  of  Bath  parish,  wrote  Mr.  Wesley  that  he  did 
not  Jmow  of  but  one  Episcopal  minister  (Mr.  McRoberts) 
who  was  not  a  reproach  to  his  vocation.  Experimental  re- 
ligion was  almost  unknown,  and  when  the  Methodist  began 
to  thunder  away  of  "sin,  righteousness,  and  judgment,"  the 
moving  on  the  dry  bones  was  indeed  wonderful. 

Williams  soon  after  married,  and  located  in  Eastern  Vir- 
ginia. His  home  was  on  the  public  road  from  Portsmouth 
to  Suffolk,  and  about  midway  between  the  two  places.  Here, 
on  the  26th  of  September,  1775,  he  laid  down  his  armor,  and 
exchanged  labor  for  rest.  He  was  regarded  by  his  breth- 
ren as  "  a  plain,  simple-hearted,  good  man,"  his  success  be- 
ing under  God  attributed  to  his  "affectionate  and  animated 
manner,"  and  his  burning  zeal  for  the  salvation  of  souls. 

The  distinguished  "Apostle  of  Methodism  in  the  New  En- 
gland States,"  and  the  earliest  historian  of  Methodism,  Rev. 
Jesse  Lee,  who  was  himself  brought  into  the  Connection 
through  Williams's  instrumentality,  thus  describes  him: 
"He  was  a  plain,  artless,  indefatigable  preacher  of  the 
gospel,  and  often  proved  the  goodness  of  his  doctrine  by 
his  tears  in  public,  and  by  his  life  and  conduct  in  private. 
His  manner  of  preaching  was  well  calculated  to  awaken 
careless  sinners,  and  to  encourage  penitent  mourners.  He 
spared  no  pains  in  order  to  do  good.  He  frequently  went 
to  church  to  hear  the  Established  clergy,  and  as  soon  as  di- 
vine service  was  ended  he  would  go  out  of  the  church,  and 
standing  on  a  stump,  block,  or  log,  begin  to  sing,  pray,  and 
then  preach  to  hundreds  of  people.  It  was  common  with 
him,  after  preaching,  to  ask  most  of  the  people  some  ques- 
tion about  the  welfare  of  their  souls." 

The  grave  in  which  his  mortal  remains  are  interred  is 
unknown,  but  he  will  not  be  forgotten.  He  will  be  re- 
membered in  history  as  the  first  to  publish  Methodist  books 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  51 

in  America,  the  first  to  preach  a  Methodist  sermon  in  Vir- 
ginia, the  first  to  organize  a  society  south  of  the  Potomac, 
the  first  to  plan  a  circuit,  the  first  of  the  Wesleyan  preach- 
ers in  America  to  marry,  the  first  to  locate,  and  the  first  to 
pass  up  from  the  scenes  of  earth's  "  great  tribulation  "  to  unite 
with  the  blood-washed  hosts  who  surround  the  Great  White 
Throne  in  the  city  of  our  God  forever. 


JOHN  KING. 

THE  name  of  John  King  takes  us  back  to  the  heroic 
days  of  Methodism — the  "iron  age,"  so  to  speak,  of 
our  Church's  history.  The  period  in  which  he  lived  was 
marked  by  the  sufferings  endured  by  the  leaders  of  a  de- 
spised sect,  which  was  soon  to  become  a  power  for  good  in 
the  world ;  and  by  the  zeal  which  they  manifested  in  bear- 
ing the  banner  of  Methodism  to  victory  over  all  opposition. 
They  were  days  that  required  nerve  to  endure,  as  well  as 
courage  to  dare ;  and  both  these  elements  of  success  were 
possessed  by  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  He  was  born  in 
Leicestershire,  England,  in  the  year  1746.  His  father,  Joel 
King,  had  three  sons,  of  whom  he  was  the  youngest.  He 
was  a  graduate  of  Oxford  University  and  of  a  London  med- 
ical college.  About  the  time  of  his  graduation  in  medicine 
he  heard  John  Wesley  preach,  and  was  converted.  Then 
his  difficulties  began.  His  father's  family  were  communi- 
cants of  the  Church  of  England,  and  bitterly  opposed  to  the 
Methodist  movement.  The  new  sect  was  despised  on  all 
sides.  The  society  was  an  object  of  bitter  ridicule  and  fierce 
persecution.  To  be  connected  with  it  was  to  be  ostracized 
from  what  the  world  was  pleased  to  call  "  society."  It  was 
but  natural  that  young  King  should  be  affected  by  these 
considerations,  but  they  did  not  drive  him  from  what  he 
believed  to  be  the  path  of  duty.     Every  effort  was  made  to 


52  The  Pioneers  #f  Methodism 

induce  him  to  repudiate  his  religion  and  withdraw  from  the 
Connection,  but  in  vain.  Finally  he  was  disinherited.  It 
was  the  old  story.  The  love  for  Jesus  waxed  all  the  warm- 
er in  his  heart  when  he  felt  that  he  was  "  persecuted  for 
righteousness'  sake."  So  far  from  recanting  his  faith,  he 
was  now  impressed  with  the  conviction  that  he  must  preach. 
He  went  to  Mr.  Wesley  and  opened  his  heart  to  him.  That 
conversation  decided  his  course. 

We  next  find  him  in  Philadelphia,  in  the  latter  part  of 
1769,  knocking  at  the  door  of  the  young  society  for  license 
to  proclaim  the  word  of  life,  and  burdened  with  the  convic- 
tion, "Woe  is  unto  me  if  I  preach  not  the  gospel!"  The 
Church  for  some  reason  hesitated  to  grant  him  the  desired 
authority.  Undaunted  by  this  refusal,  he  determined  to 
preach,  and  made  an  appointment  in  the  Old  Potter's  Field, 
now  Washington  Square.  Here,  over  the  graves  of  the 
poor,  he  pointed  his  hearers  to  the  riches  of  heaven,  and 
besought  them  to  obtain  the  "inheritance  which  is  incor- 
ruptible, undefiled,  and  that  fadeth  not  away."  Some  of 
his  Methodist  brethren  w7ho  heard  him  were  so  favorably 
impressed,  and  so  convinced  that  he  possessed  elements  of 
usefulness  and  success  as  a  preacher,  that  they  strongly  urged 
his  case  upon  the  attention  of  the  society.  He  was  allowed 
to  preach  a  "trial  sermon,"  and  afterward  licensed. 

From  Philadelphia  he  went  to  Wilmington,  Del.,  wThere 
he  labored  with  success.  From  here  he  went  to  Maryland, 
and  assisted  Strawbridge  and  Williams  in  their  labors  there. 
His  indomitable  courage  and  invincible  zeal  broke  down 
every  barrier,  and  success  everywhere  crowned  his  efforts. 
He  was  the  first  Methodist  to  preach  in  the  city  of  Balti- 
more. Here  he  preached  his  first  sermon  from  a  "black- 
smith's block,  at  the  corner  of  French  and  Broad  streets," 
his  next  from  "a  table  at  the  junction  of  Baltimore  and 
Calvert  streets."     On  the  latter  occasion,  the  drunken  crowd 


In  Xorth  Carolina  and  Virginia.  53 

— it  being  militia  training-day — upset  the  table,  and  sub- 
jected liim  to  ill  treatment.  The  commander,  however,  who 
was  an  Englishman,  recognized  him  as  a  countryman,  ex- 
tended his  protection,  and  allowed  him  to  proceed.  His 
effort  made  such  a  favorable  impression  that  he  was  invited 
to  preach  in  St.  Paul's  Church.  It  is  said  that  King  "  made 
the  dust  fly  from  the  old  velvet  cushion."  The  invitation 
was  not  repeated.  The  fervor  of  his  manner  did  not  suit 
the  tastes  of  his  audience,  but  he  found  other  and  more  ap- 
preciative hearers;  and  in  five  years  after  he  had  preached 
his  first  sermon  from  a  blacksmith's  block  there,  Methodism 
in  Baltimore  had  grown  strong  enough  to  welcome  and  en- 
tertain the  Annual  Conference  ef  its  preachers. 

His  name  appears  on  the  first  printed  minutes.  He  was 
one  of  the  six  or  seven  preachers  present  at  the  first  Annual 
Conference  held  in  America,  and  which  convened  in  Phila- 
delphia in  June,  1773.  From  this  Conference  he  was  sent, 
with  young  William  Watters — the  first  native  American 
Methodist  preacher — to  New  Jersey  Circuit.  In  1774  he 
was  appointed  to  Norfolk,  Va.  It  is  not  to  be  inferred, 
however,  that  his  labors  were  confined  to  that  town.  He 
took  in  all  the  surrounding  country,  and,  there  is  reason  to 
believe,  crossed  over  into  North  Carolina.  He  extended 
his  circuit  "to  the  south  part  of  Virginia, where  his  labors 
were  made  a  blessing  to  many  people."  During  this  year 
he  was  married  to  Miss  Sallie  Seawell,  of  Brunswick  county, 
Virginia,  where  he  had  doubtless  been  to  assist  his  brethren 
AVade,  Robbins,  and  Spragg,  who  were  on  that  circuit.  At 
the  ensuing  Conference,  Norfolk  reported  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  members,  a  gain  of  fifty-three ;  and  Brunswick 
reported  eight  hundred,  a  gain  of  five  hundred  and  eighty- 
two.     In  1775  he  was  returned  to  Trenton,  N.  J. 

His  name  does  not  appear  in  the  printed  minutes  for  1776. 
This  was  a  stormy  period  in  the  history  of  the  colonies,  and 


54  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

every  thing  -was  in  an  unsettled  state.  The  Revolution  hin- 
dered the  progress  of  Methodism  for  awhile,  and  it  seems 
that  King  located.  About  this  time  he  bought  a  home  in 
Franklin  county,  North  Carolina,  near  the  present  county- 
seat,  Louisburg,  where  he  lived  until  1789  or  1790,  when 
he  removed  to  Wake  county,  about  ten  miles  west  of  Ra- 
leigh. 

The  Annual  Conference  of  1777  appointed  him,  with  John 
Dickens,  LeRoy  Cole,  and  Edward  Pride,  to  North  Caro- 
lina Circuit,  This  was  the  second  year  of  the  existence  of 
a  circuit  in  this  State.  'At  the  close  of  the  year  they  re- 
ported nine  hundred  and  thirty  members.  Carolina  Cir- 
cuit the  year  before  had  reported  six  hundred  and  eighty- 
three  members  in  society ;  so  that,  notwithstanding  the  war, 
there  had  been  an  increase  of  two  hundred  and  forty-seven. 

At  this  Conference  the  following  resolution  was  passed, 
viz. : 

"  Question  7.  As  the  present  distress  is  such,  are  the  preach- 
ers resolved  to  take  no  step  to  detach  themselves  from  the 
work  of  God  for  the  ensuing  year? 

"Answer.  We  propose,  by  the  grace  of  God,  not  to  take 
any  step  that  may  separate  us  from  the  brethren  or  from 
the  blessed  work  in  which  we  are  engaged." 

But  King's  name  does  not  appear  on  the  printed  minutes 
after  this  year.  He  had  married,  and  his  itinerant  days 
were  drawing  to  a  close.  He  practiced  medicine  to  support 
his  family,  and  served  the  Church  in  the  capacity  of  local 
preacher.  Bishop  Asbury  makes  frequent  and  honorable 
mention  of  him  in  his  journal;  and  there  is  abundant  evi- 
dence that  he  continued  to  the  end  an  earnest,  fearless,  faith- 
ful preacher  of  the  gospel. 

From  the  foregoing  remarks,  the  reader  has  formed  some 
idea  of  the  style  of  King's  preaching.  Wesley  calls  him 
"stubborn  and  headstrong,"  and  surely  the  difficulties  he 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  bb 

had  to  encounter  were  calculated  to  develop  those  traits. 
The  following  characteristic  letter  from  Wesley  to  King  we 
find  in  the  former's  miscellaneous  works,  and  deem  it  of 
sufficient  interest  to  reproduce  it  here : 

"My  dear  brother/'  he  writes,  ''always  take  advice  or 
reproof  as  a  favor;  it  is  the  surest  mark  of  love.  I  advised 
you  once,  and  you  took  it  as  an  affront ;  nevertheless  I  will 
do  it  once  more.  Scream  no  more,  at  the  peril  of  your  soul. 
God  now  warns  you,  by  me  whom  he  has  set  over  you. 
Speak  as  earnestly  as  you  can,  but  do  not  scream.  Speak 
with  all  vour  heart,  but  with  a  moderate  voice.  It  was  said 
of  our  Lord, '  He  shall  not  cry.'  The  word  properly  means, 
'  He  shall  not  scream.'  Herein  be  a  follower  of  me,  as  I  am 
of  Christ.  I  often  speak  loud,  often  vehemently,  but  I  never 
scream ;  I  never  strain  myself — I  dare  not.  I  know  it  would 
be  a  sin  against  God  and  my  own  soul.  Perhaps  one  reason 
why  that  good  man  Thomas  Walsh,  yea,  and  John  Man- 
ners too,  were  in  such  grievous  darkness  before  they  died 
was  because  they  shortened  their  own  lives.  O  John,  pray 
for  an  advisable  and  teachable  temper.  By  nature  you  are 
very  tar  from  it ;  you  are  stubborn  and  headstrong.  Your 
last  letter  was  written  in  a  very  wrung  spirit.  If  you  can- 
not take  advice  from  others,  surely  you  can  take  it  from 
your  affectionate  brother,"  etc. 

Asbury  makes  frequent  mention  of  King  in  his  journal, 
and  his  house  was  a  favorite  stopping  -  place  with  the  old 
Bishop. 

King  was  present  at  the  first  Methodist  Conference  held 
in  Xorth  Carolina.  This  convened  at  Green  Hill's,  in 
Franklin  county,  about  one  mile  south  of  the  town  of 
Louisburg,  on  Wednesday,  April  20,  1785.  Coke  and  As- 
bury were  present,  and  presided.  There  is  a  family  tradi- 
tion that  as  Kiug  entered  the  room  in  which  the  Conference 
had  assembled,   Dr.   Coke,  without  a  word  of  salutation, 


56  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

called  upon  him  to  pray.  Laying  aside  his  saddle-bags, 
he  began  his  petition,  thus  offering  the  first  prayer  ever 
made  in  a  Methodist  Conference  in  North  Carolina. 

He  died  while  on  a  visit  to  New  Berne  in  1794,*  and 
was  buried  at  his  home  in  Wake  county.  His  children — 
six -in  number — were  all  members  of  the  Methodist  Church. 
Two  of  his  sons,  John  and  "William,  were  Methodist  preaeh- 
t re.  A  son  of  William,  Rev.  Marcus  King,  is  now  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Kentucky  Conference. 


GEORGE  SHADFORD. 

THE  name  of  George  Shadford  will  ever  be  associated 
with  the  great  reformation  that  accompanied  the  in- 
troduction of  Methodism  into  Virginia.  He  was  preemi- 
nently the  popular  favorite  among  the  American  Methodists 
in  his  day,  and  we  refer  to  him  now  as  the  representative 
preacher  of  our  denomination  in  this  country  at  that  period. 
His  fame  as  an  orator  has  been  perpetuated  by  tradition — 
his  earnest  zeal,  his  Christian  humility,  his  child-like  sim- 
plicity, his  tender,  affectionate  nature,  all  combine  in  mak- 
ing him  one  of  the  most  interesting  characters  of  those  early 
days.  No  man  since  that  time  has  exerted  a  more  powerful 
influence  over  the  masses ;  no  preacher  has  been  more  hon- 
ored of  his  Master  in  winning  souls  to  Jesus ;  and  even  now 
the  greatest  revivals,  the  most  wonderful  displays  of  divine 
power,  and  the  most  glorious  manifestations  of  the  divine 

*  Stevens  has  it  that  he  died  about  the  middle  of  the  present  cent- 
ury, and  quotes  from  another  authority  that  "he  was  probably  at 
that  time  the  only  survivor  of  all  the  preachers  of  ante-revolution- 
ary date."  It  seems  strange  that  such  a  mistake  should  ever  have 
been  made,  especially  as  Asbury  speaks  of  the  marriage  of  King's 
widow  to  a  Mr.  Perry.  The  mistake  evidently  originated  in  con- 
founding father  and  son,  who  both  bore  the  same  name.  The  dates 
given  in  this  sketch  are  from  family  records. 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  57 

presence,  are  naturally  compared  with  or  referred  to  in  con- 
nection with  a  mention  of  the  scenes  that  transpired  on  old 
Brunswick  Circuit  when  George  Shadford  was  declaring  to  the 
people  the  whole  counsel  of  God.  He  has  left  us  an  autobi- 
ographical sketch,  for  the  preservation  of  which  we  are  indebt- 
ed to  Wesley's  old  Arminian  Magazine,  which  gives  us  an  in- 
teresting account  of  his  early  life  and  the  circumstances  which 
led  to  his  conversion  and  his  connection  with  the  Methodists. 
He  was  born  in  Lincolnshire,  England,  January  19, 1739. 
His  parents,  like  thousands  of  others  in  that  day,  were  mem- 
bers of  the  Church,  but  ignorant  of  vital  religion.  They 
were  strict  in  teaching  him  to  observe  the  external  duties 
of  religion,  though  they  were  themselves  ignorant  of  its  sav- 
ing power.  Every  Sabbath  he  was  taken  to  church,  and 
in  the  afternoon  he  was  sent  to  the  pastor  to  be  instructed 
in  the  catechism.  Ebullient  with  the  spirits  of  healthful 
childhood,  he  was  continually  tempted  to  engage  in  pranks 
of  childish  mischief,  though  his  tender  conscience  would, 
on  after -thought,  teach  him  to  look  upon  them  as  sinful 
and  perilous  to  his  soul.  But  we  prefer  to  let  him  tell  his 
story  in  his  own  words:  "When  I  was  very  young,"  says 
he,  "I  was  uncommonly  afraid  of  death.  At  about  eight 
or  nine  years  of  age,  being  very  ill  of  a  sore  throat,  and 
likely  to  die,  I  was  awfully  afraid  of  another  world ;  for  I 
felt  my  heart  very  wicked,  and  my  conscience  smote  me  for 
many  things  I  had  done  amiss.  As  I  grew  up,  I  was  very 
prone  to  speak  bad  words,  and  often  to  perform  wicked  ac- 
tions, to  break  the  Sabbath,  and,  being  fond  of  play,  took  every 
opportunity  on  Sunday  to  steal  away  from  my  father.  In 
the  forenoon,  indeed,  he  always  made  me  go  to  church  with 
him ;  and  when  dinner  was  over,  he  made  me  and  my  sister 
read  a  chapter  or  two  in  the  Bible,  and  charged  me  not  to 
play  in  the  afternoon ;  but  notwithstanding  all  he  said,  if  any 
person  came  in  to  talk  with  him,  I  took  that  opportunity  to 


58  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

steal  away,  and  he  saw  me  not  till  evening,  when  he  called 
me  to  an  account.  My  mother  insisted  on  my  saying  my 
prayers  every  night  and  morning  at  least,  and  sent  me  to 
be  catechised  by  the  minister  every  Sunday.  At  fourteen 
years  of  age,  my  parents  sent  me  to  the  bishop  to  be  con- 
firmed, and  at  sixteen  they  desired  me  to  prepare  to  receive 
the  blessed  sacrament.  For  about  a  month  before  it,  I  re- 
tired from  all  vain  company,  prayed  and  read  alone,  while 
the  Spirit  of  God  set  home  what  I  read  to  my  heart.  I  wept 
much  in  secret,  was  ashamed  of  my  past  life,  and  thought  I 
would  never  spend  my  time  on  Sundays  as  I  had  done. 
When  I  approached  the  table  of  the  Lord  it  appeared  so 
awful  to  me  that  I  was  likely  to  fall  down  as  if  I  were  going 
to  the  judgment-seat  of  Christ.  However,  very  soon  my 
heart  was  melted  like  wax  before  the  fire.  I  broke  off  from 
all  my  companions,  and  retired  to  read  on  the  Lord's-day — 
sometimes  into  my  chamber,  at  other  times  into  the  field, 
but  very  frequently  into  the  church-yard  near  which  my 
father  lived.  I  have  spent  among  the  graves  two  or  three 
hours  at  a  time,  sometimes  reading  and  sometimes  praying, 
until  my  mind  seemed  transported  in  tasting  the  powers  of 
the  world  to  come;  so  that  I  verily  believe,  had  I  been  ac- 
quainted with  the  Methodists  at  that  time,  I  should  have 
soon  found  remission  of  sins  and  peace  with  God.  But  I 
had  not  a  single  companion  that  feared  God ;  nay,  I  believe 
at  that  time  the  whole  town  was  covered  with  darkness  and 
sat  in  the  shadow  of  death.  Having  none  to  guide  or  di- 
rect me,  the  devil  soon  persuaded  me  to  take  more  liberty, 
and  suggested  that  I  had  repented  and  reformed  enough: 
that  there  was  no  need  to  be  always  so  precise;  that  there 
were  no  young  people  in  the  town  who  did  as  I  did.  I  gave 
way  to  this  fatal  device  of  Satan,  and  by  little  and  little  lost 
all  my  good  desires  and  resolutions,  and  soon  became  weak 
as  in  times  past.     I  was  fond  of  wrestling,  running,  leaping, 


Iii  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  59 

foot-ball,  dancing,  and  such  like  sports,  and  I  gloried  in  them 
because  I  could  excel  most  in  the  town  and  parish.  At  the 
age  of  twenty  I  was  so  active  that  I  seemed  a  compound  of 
life  and  fire,  and  had  such  a  flow  of  animal  spirits  that  I  was 
never  in  my  element  but  when  employed  in  such  kinds  of 
sport." 

About  this  time,  a  new  militia  act  drew  four  of  his  com- 
panions into  the  army.  One  of  them  being  "  much  afraid 
to  go,"  Shadford,  who  liked  the  life  of  a  soldier,  agreed,  for 
the  sum  of  seven  guineas,  to  become  his  substitute.  His 
parents  were  greatly  distressed  when  they  became  acquainted 
with  this  step,  and,  in  deference  to  their  feelings,  he  at- 
tempted to  break  the  engagement  he  had  made,  but  it  was 
too  late.  He,  however,  afterward  relieved  in  part  the  pe- 
cuniary distress  of  his  father  by  giving  him  all  the  money 
he  received.  He  was  subjected  to  many  temptations  pecul- 
iar to  army-life,  but  escaped  from  most  of  them,  and  repent- 
ed when  overcome.  At  times  he  was  so  distressed  on  account 
of  his  sins  that  he  was  tempted  to  put  an  end  to  his  wretched 
life ;  at  other  times  he  felt  a  degree  of  comfort  in  drawing 
nigh  unto  God. 

At  Gainesboro  he  heard,  for  the  first  time,  a  Methodist 
preacher.  "Twas  struck,"  says  he,  "with  his  manner.  He 
took  out  a  hymn-book,  and  the  people  sung  a  hymn.  After 
this  he  began  to  pray  extempore  in  such  a  manner  as  I  had 
never  heard.  I  thought  it  a  most  excellent  prayer.  After 
this  he  took  his  little  Bible  out  of  his  pocket,  read  over  his 
text,  and  put  it  into  his  pocket  again.  I  marveled  at  this, 
and  thought  within  myself,  '  Will  he  preach  without  a  book 
too?'"  Of  the  impression  the  sermon  made  upon  him,  he 
says :  "  I  was  tried,  cast,  condemned.  I  then  made  a  vow  to 
Almighty  God  that  if  he  would  spare  me  until  that  time 
twelve-month  (at  which  time  I  should  be  at  liberty  from  the 
militia,  and  intended  to  return  home),  I  would  then  serve 


60  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

him.  So  I  resolved  to  venture  another  year  in  the  old  way, 
damned  OI  saved.  0  what  a  mercy  that  I  am  not  in  hell! 
that  God  did  not  take  me  at  my  word  and  cut  me  off  imme- 
diately!" 

During  the  period  that  intervened  before  his  return  home 
he  was  frequently  arrested  by  conviction,  and  would  repent 
before  God  in  tears.  "  Wherever  I  traveled,"  says  he,  "  I 
found  the  Methodists  were  spoken  against  by  wicked  and 
ungodly  people  of  every  denomination,  and  the  more  I  looked 
into  the  Bible  the  more  I  was  convinced  that  they  were  the 
people  of  God." 

On  his  return  home,  his  old  associates  welcomed  him  with 
great  joy,  and  gave  a  dance  in  honor  to  him.  He  felt 
obliged  to  attend,  but  the  old  love  for  dancing  had  long 
since  left  him.  "  We  danced,"  says  he, "  until  break  of  day,  and 
as  I  was  walking  from  the  tavern  to  my  father's  house  (about 
a  hundred  yards),  a  thought  came  to  my  mind,  '  What  have 
I  been  doing  this  night?  Serving  the  devil.'  I  considered 
what  it  had  cost  me,  and  upon  the  whole  I  thought,  '  The 
ways  of  the  devil  are  more  expensive  than  the  ways  of  the 
Lord.  It  will  cost  a  man  more  to  damn  his  soul  than  to 
save  it.'  I  had  not  walked  many  steps  farther  before  some- 
thing spoke  to  my  heart,  '  Remember  thy  promise.'  Imme- 
diately it  came  strongly  into  my  mind,  '  It  is  now  a  year 
since  that  promise  was  made :  "  If  thou  wilt  spare  me  until 
I  get  home,  I  will  serve  thee." '  Then  that  passage  of  Sol- 
omon came  to  my  mind :  '  When  thou  vowest  a  vowT  unto 
God,  defer  not  to  pay  it;  for  he  hath  no  pleasure  in  fools; 
pay  that  thou  vowest.'  I  thought,  '  I  will.  I  will  serve  the 
devil  no  more.'  But  then  it  was  suggested  to  my  soul,  'Stay 
another  year,  until  thou  art  married  and  settled  in  the 
world,  and  thou  mayest  be  religious.'  That  was  directly 
followed  with,  '  If  I  do,  God  will  surely  cut  me  off,  and  send 
my  soul  to  hell,  after  so  solemn  a  vow  made.'     From  that 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  Gl 

time  I  never  danced  more,  but  immediately  began  to  seek 
happiness  in  God." 

This  resolution  was  strengthened  by  learning  that  a  young 
lady  to  whom  he  had  engaged  himself  before  entering  the 
militia  had  died  during  his  absence  from  home  in  the  army. 
His  convictions  became  deep  and  his  grief  pungent.  In 
the  providence  of  God,  he  was  led  to  attend  preaching  by  a 
Methodist,  in  the  house  of  a  neighboring  farmer.  Says  he : 
"  I  went  to  hear  him,  and  was  pleased  and  much  affected. 
He  gave  notice  that  he  would  preach  again  in  the  evening. 
In  the  meantime  I  persuaded  as  many  neighbors  as  I  could 
to  go.  We  had  a  full  house,  and  several  were  greatly  af- 
fected while  he  published  his  crucified  Master.  Toward  the 
latter  part  of  the  sermon  I  trembled,  I  shook,  I  wept.  I 
thought,  '  I  cannot  stand  it ;  I  shall  fall  down  amid  all  this 
people.'  O  how  gladly  would  I  have  been  alone  to  weep! 
for  I  was  tempted  with  shame.  I  stood  guilty  and  con- 
demned, like  the  publican  in  the  temple.  I  cried  out  (so 
that  others  heard),  being  pierced  to  the  heart  with  the  sword 
of  the  Spirit,  '  God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner ! '  No  sooner 
had  I  expressed  these  words,  but  by  the  eye  of  faith  (not 
with  my  bodily  eyes)  I  saw  Christ  my  Advocate,  at  the  right- 
hand  of  God,  making  intercession  for  me.  I  believed  he 
loved  me,  and  gave  himself  for  me.  In  an  instant  the  Lord 
filled  my  soul  with  divine  love,  as  quick  as  lightning.  Im- 
mediately my  eyes  flowed  with  tears  and  my  heart  with  love. 
Tears  of  joy  and  sorrow  ran  down  my  cheeks.  O  what  sweet 
distress  was  this !  I  seemed  as  if  I  could  weep  my  life  away 
in  tears  of  love.  I  sat  down  in  a  chair,  for  I  could  stand 
no  longer,  and  these  words  ran  through  my  mind  twenty 
times  over:  'Marvelous  are  thy  works,  and  that  my  soul 
knoweth  right  well.'  As  I  walked  home  along  the  streets,  I 
seemed  to  be  in  paradise.  When  I  read  my  Bible,  it  seemed 
an  entirely  new  book.     When  I  meditated  on  God  and 


02  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

Christ,  angels  or  spirits — when  I  considered  good  or  bad 
men,  any  or  all  the  creatures  that  surrounded  me — every 
thing  appeared  new,  and  stood  in  a  new  relation  to  me.  I 
was  in  Christ  a  new  creature;  old  things  were  done  away, 
and  all  things  then  became  new.  I  lay  down  at  night  in 
peace,  with  a  thankful  heart,  because  the  Lord  hath  re- 
deemed me,  and  given  me  peace  with  God  and  all  mankind. 
But  no  sooner  had  I  peace  within  than  the  devil  and  wicked 
men  began  to  war  without,  and  pour  forth  floods  of  lies  and 
scandal  in  order  to  drown  the  young  child.  And  no  mar- 
vel, for  the  devil  had  lost  one  of  the  main  pillars  of  his 
kingdom  in  that  parish,  and  therefore  he  did  not  leave  a 
stone  unturned  that  he  might  cast  odium  upon  the  work  of 
God  in  that  place.  But  none  of  these  things  moved  me,  for 
I  was  happy  in  my  God,  clothed,  with  the  sun  and  the  moon 
under  my  feet ;  raised  up  and  made  to  sit  m  heavenly,  holy, 
happy  places  in  Christ  Jesus.  In  a  fortnight  after,  I  joined 
the  society." 

After  uniting  himself  with  the  people  of  God,  his  heart 
turned  to  his  parents,  who  were  yet  ignorant  of  saving  faith. 
He  began  holding  with  them  family  prayer,  and  exhorting 
every  one  who  came  to  the  shop  to  be  religious.  The  father 
feared  that  this  course,  on  the  part  of  the  young  convert, 
would  drive  away  his  trade,  but  the  young  man  replied : 
"  Father,  let  us  trust  God  for  once  with  all  our  concerns, 
and  let  us  do  this  in  the  way  of  our  duty,  from  a  right  prin- 
ciple, and  if  he  deceives  us  we  will  never  trust  him  more; 
for  none  that  ever  trusted  the  Lord  were  confounded."  "  In 
less  than  a  twelve-month,"  says  he,  "  instead  of  losing  we 
had  more  business  than  ever  we  had  before.  The  society 
increased  from  twelve  to  forty  members  in  a  short  time,  for 
the  Lord  gave  me  several  of  my  companions  in  sin  to  walk 
with  me  in  the  ways  of  holiness." 

He  now  began  to  exhort  in  the  neighborhood,  and  the 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  63 

Lord  graciously  owned  his  labors  of  love.  Returning  home 
from  one  such  occasion,  he  found  his  father  reading  the 
book  of  Psalms.  "I  saw,"  says  Shadford,  "the  tears  run- 
ning down  his  cheeks,  yet  there  appeared  a  joy  in  his  coun- 
tenance. I  said:  'Pray,  father,  what  now?  what  now?  what 
is  the  matter?'  He  instantly  answered:  'I  have  found 
Christ ;  I  have  found  Christ  at  last.  Upward  of  sixty  years 
I  have  lived  without  him  in  the  world  of  sin  and  ignorance. 
I  have  been  all  the  day  idle,  and  entered  not  into  his  vine- 
yard until  the  eleventh  hour.  O  how  merciful  was  he  to 
spare  me,  and  hire  me  at  last !  He  hath  set  my  soul  at  lib- 
erty. O  praise  the  Lord!  Praise  the  Lord,  O  my  soul; 
and  all  that  is  within  me  bless  his  holy  name ! '  "  His 
mother  soon  after  found  peace  in  believing,  and  then  his 
sister.  Young  George's  heart  was  full  of  gratitude.  Re- 
ceiving license  to  preach,  he  enlarged  his  field  of  useful- 
ness as  a  local  preacher.  While  acting  in  this  capacity, 
Wesley  met  him,  and,  forming  an  attachment  for  him  which 
endured  through  life,  he  called  him  to  the  itinerant  work. 
He  served,  successively,  Cornwall,  Kent,  and  Norwich. 

In  1772,  the  veteran  founder  of  Methodism  in  the  Mid- 
dle States — Captain  Webb — appeared  before  the  Conference 
at  Leeds,  asking  ministers  for  America.  Wesley  was  cap- 
tivated by  him,  heard  him  preach  with  "admiration,"  and 
wrote  of  him  to  a  friend :  "  He  is  a  man  of  fire,  and  the 
power  of  God  constantly  attends  his  preaching."  "He  was 
the  right  man,"  says  Stevens,  "to  appeal  to  British  Method- 
ism for  America,  for  he  could  tell  his  own  story  about  it, 
and  his  military  ardor  gave  a  singular  inspiration  to  his 
words.  He  made  vast  calculations  for  American  Method- 
ism, and  the  timid  Charles  Wesley  gazed  at  him  with  sur- 
prise, pronouncing  him  fanatical ;  but  it  was  next  to  impos- 
sible to  exaggerate  the  moral  and  social  prospects  of  the 
New  World.     He  demanded  two  of  the  ablest  men  of  the 


C4  Tlie  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

British  Conference,  Christopher  Hopper  and  Joseph  Benson. 
Charles  Wesley  opposed  the  claim,  but  the  zealous  Captain 
was  not  to  be  altogether  defeated."  Under  Webb's  presen- 
tation of  the  case,  young  Shadford  "felt  his  spirit  stirred 
within  him,"  and  he  and  Rankin  offered  themselves  as  mis- 
sionaries to  go  the  ensuing  spring.  In  the  meantime  Shad- 
ford  traveled  the  Wiltshire  Circuit. 

Wesley  felt  a  tender  interest  in  the  young  hero,  loving 
him  as  his  own  son,  and  shortly  before  his  departure  for 
America  wrote  him  the  following  letter :  "  Dear  George,  the 
time  has  arrived  for  you  to  embark  for  America.  You  must 
go  down  to  Bristol,  where  you  will  meet  with  Thomas  Ran- 
kin, Captain  Webb,  and  his  wife.  I  let  you  loose,  George, 
on  the  great  continent  of  America.  Publish  your  message 
in  the  open  face  of  the  sun,  and  do  all  the  good  you  can. 
I  am,  dear  George,  yours  affectionately." 

Six  years  before,  Shadford  had  had  a  dream,  in  which  he 
seemed  to  receive  a  written  message  directing  him  to  go  and 
preach  the  gospel  in  a  foreign  land.  "  I  thought,"  says,  he, 
"  I  was  conveyed  to  the  place  where  the  ship  lay  in  which 
I  was  to  embark  in  an  instant.  The  wharf  and  ship  ap- 
peared as  plain  to  me  as  if  I  were  awake.  I  replied :  '  Lord, 
I  am  willing  to  go  in  thy  name,  but  I  am  afraid  a  people 
of  different  nations  and  languages  will  not  understand  me.' 
An  answer  to  this  was  given :  '  Fear  not,  for  I  am  with 
thee.'  I  awoke,  awfully  impressed  with  the  presence  of  God, 
and  was  really  full  of  divine  love,  and  a  relish  for  it  re- 
mained upon  my  spirit  for  many  days.  I  could  not  tell 
what  this  meant,  and  resolved  these  things  in  my  mind  for 
a  long  time.  But  when  I  came  to  Peel,  and  saw  the  ship 
and  wharf,  then  all  came  fresh  to  my  mind."  He  was  then 
assured  that  the  mission  before  him  was  the  realization  of 
his  dream,  and  that  he  was  divinely  directed. 

Captain  Webb  and  his  wife  added  much  to  the  pleasure 


///  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.,  65 

of  the  missionaries  while  on  board.  After  a  passage  of  seven 
and  a  half  weeks,  they  landed  in  America,  and  were  wel- 
comed by  Asbury.  Shadford  extended  his  labors  from  Phil- 
adelphia into  New  Jersey,  preaching  with  the  ardor  which 
characterized  his  whole  career,  until  the  first  Annual  Con- 
ference assembled  in  Philadelphia.  From  this  Conference 
he  was  stationed  in  Philadelphia,  changing  every  four  months 
with  Rankin  in  New  York.  The  next  year  he  served,  with 
Dromgoole,  Webster,  and  Lindsay,  the  Baltimore  Circuit. 
Wherever  he  preached  the  power  of  God  attended  the  word 
and  souls  were  converted.  In  1775,  he  was  appointed,  with 
Lindsay,  Dromgoole,  Williams,  and  Glendenning,  to  Bruns- 
wick Circuit,  in  Virginia.  Here  a  most  wonderful  work  was 
to  attend  his  labors.  Before  his  earnest,  searching  preach- 
ing the  masses  of  the  people  were  moved,  dead  formalism 
was  stripj)ed  of  its  disguise,  and  thousands  were  led  to  an 
experimental  knowledge  of  saving  faith  in  Christ  as  a  living 
and  personal  Saviour. 

The  religious  destitution  of  Virginia  at  the  time  of  the 
introduction  of  Methodism  has  already  been  noticed.  We 
may  trace  the  cause  in  great  part  to  an  immoral  and  ineffi- 
cient ministry.  The  earnest,  zealous  manner  of  Shadford, 
his  burning  thirst  for  the  salvation  of  souls,  at  once  opened 
the  way  for  him  to  hearts  that  before  were  careless  because 
they  had  not  been  alarmed.  He  was  "amazed"  at  the  suc- 
cess of  his  labors.  At  almost  every  appointment,  under  al- 
most every  sermon,  from  three  to  four  were  converted,  until 
one  grand  revival-wave  swept  over  the  whole  field,  and  thou- 
sands were  brought  under  its  influence.  It  will  be  seen 
from  the  following  that  some  of  the  wealthy  planters  were 
wofully  ignorant  of  religion,  and  in  a  spiritual  condition  lit- 
tle better  than  heathendom.  "Going  to  preach  one  day," 
says  Shadford,  "  I  was  stopped  by  a  flood  of  water,  and  could 
not  reach  the  bridge.  I  therefore  turned  back  to  a  large 
5 


66  The  Pioneer s  of  Methodism 

plantation,  and  having  found  the  planter  I  told  him  my  case, 
and  asked  him  if  I  could  sleep  at  his  house.  He  said  1  was 
welcome.  After  I  had  taken  a  little  refreshment,  I  asked 
if  that  part  of  the  country  was  well  inhabited,  and  on  his 
answering  in  the  affirmative,  I  said :  '  If  it  is  agreeable,  and 
you  will  send  out  to  acquaint  your  neighbors,  I  will  preach 
to  them  this  evening.'  He  sent  out,  and  we  had  many  hear- 
ers, but  they  were  as  wild-boars.  After  I  had  reproved 
them,  they  behaved  very  well  during  the  preaching.  When 
I  conversed  with  the  planter  and  his  wife,  I  found  them  en- 
tirely ignorant  of  themselves  and  of  God.  I  labored  to 
convince  them  both,  but  it  seemed  to  little  purpose.  Next 
morning  I  was  stopped  again,  when  he  kindly  offered  to 
show  me  another  way  some  miles  about,  and  go  with  me  to 
preaching.  I  thanked  him,  and  accepted  his  offer.  As  I 
was  preaching  that  day,  I  saw  him  weeping  much.  The 
Spirit  of  God  opened  the  poor  creature's  eyes,  and  he  saw 
the  wretched  state  he  was  in.  He  staid  with  me  that  night, 
and  made  me  promise  to  go  again  to  his  house  and  preach 
there.  In  a  short  time  he  and  his  wife  became  true  peni- 
tents, and  were  soundly  converted  by  the  power  of  God." 
Such  was  the  beginning  of  one  of  the  Methodist  churches 
in  Virginia.  Before  the  close  of  the  year,  Shadford  had 
organized  a  class  of  more  than  sixty  members  at  that  place.  - 
"It  was  quite  common,"  says  Jesse  Lee,  alluding  to  the  re- 
vival under  Shadford's  ministry  on  the  Brunswick  Circuit 
this  year,  "  for  sinners  to  be  seized  with  trembling  and  shak- 
ing, and  to  fall  down  as  if  they  were  dead ;  and  many  were 
convulsed  from  head  to  foot,  while  others  retained  the  use 
of  their  tongues  so  as  to  pray  while  lying  on  the  floor."  "  On 
the  second  day  of  a  quarterly-meeting,"  says  the  same  writer, 
"  a  love-feast  was  held.  As  soon  as  it  began,  the  power  of 
the  Lord  came  down  on  the  assembly  like  a  rushing,  mighty 
wind,  and  it  seemed  as  if  the  whole  house  was  filled  with  the 


Iii  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  67 

presence  of  God.  A  flame  kindled  and  ran  from  heart  to 
heart.  Many  were  deeply  convinced  of  sin,  many  mourners 
were  filled  with  consolation,  and  many  believers  were  so 
overwhelmed  with  love  that  they  could  not  doubt  but  God 
had  enabled  them  to  love  him  with  all  their  hearts.  When 
the  love-feast  was  ended,  the  doors  were  opened.  Many  who 
had  staid  without  then  came  in,  and  beholding  the  anguish 
of  some  and  the  rejoicing  of  others,  were  filled  with  aston- 
ishment, and  not  long  afterward  with  trembling  apprehen- 
sions of  their  own  danger.  Several  of  them,  prostrating 
themselves  before  God,  cried  aloud  for  mercy.  And  the 
convictions  which  then  began  in  many  have  terminated  in 
a  happy  and  lasting  change.  The  multitudes  that  attended 
on  this  occasion,  returning  home  all  alive  to  God,  spread  the 
flame  through  their  respective  neighborhoods,  so  that  within 
four  weeks  several  hundreds  had  found  peace  with  God. 
Scarce  any  conversation  was  to  be  heard  throughout  the  cir- 
cuit but  concerning  the  things  of  God."  It  was  under  such 
influences  that  Lee  was  himself  brought  to  a  clearer  assur- 
ance of  his  acceptance  with  God,  and  to  a  sense  of  his  duty 
to  preach  the  gospel. 

The  foregoing  extracts  will  serve  to  show  the  character 
of  the  work  done.  The  revival  influence  spread  through 
Dinwiddie,  Amelia,  Sussex,  Brunswick,  Prince  George,  Lu- 
nenburg, and  Mecklenburg  counties,  in  Virginia,  and  Hali- 
fax and  Bute  (now  Warren  and  Franklin)  counties,  in  North 
Carolina.  Eighteen  hundred  members  were  added  to  the 
society  in  one  year,  and  a  year  later  Jarratt  wrote  to  Wes- 
ley that  he  had  "not  heard  of  any  one  apostate"  in  all  that 
number.  Among  the  members  received  were  Francis  Poy- 
thress,  James  Foster,  and  Joseph  Hartley,  who  became  trav- 
eling preachers. 

But  the  clouds  of  war  now  began  to  gather,  and  Shadford's 
ministry  in  Virginia  and  North  Carolina  was  drawing  to  a 


68  Tlic  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

close.  He  was  required  to  renounce  his  allegiance  to  the 
king,  but  this  he  did  not  feel  that  he  could  conscientiously 
do.  After  undergoing  some  persecution  on  this  account,  he 
started  toward  the  North  for  the  purpose  of  embarking  for 
England.  "On  his  route  he  was  lost  in  the  woods  at  night, 
when  the  weather  was  intensely  cold,  and  the  snow  a  foot 
deep.  He  could  discover  no  house ;  without  relief  he  must 
perish.  He  fell  upon  his  knees  and  prayed  for  deliverance. 
On  rising,  he  stood  some  time  listening,  when  he  heard  the 
distant  barking  of  a  dog.  Following  the  sound,  he  was 
welcomed  at  the  house  of  a  plantation."  Reaching  Judge 
White's,  he  met  with  Asbury,  who  tried  to  dissuade  him  from 
leaving.  Together  they  observed  a  day  of  fasting  and 
prayer  for  divine  direction.  Shadford  was  more  than  ever 
convinced  that  it  was  his  duty  to  leave,  and  reaching  Phil- 
adelphia in  safety,  he  embarked  for  Cork,  in  Ireland,  thence 
to  Wales,  and  then  crossed  to  Bristol. 

In  England  he  resumed  his  ministry,  and  continued  to 
preach  until  1791,  when  infirm  health  forced  him  to  seek 
and  obtain  a  supernumerary  relation  to  the  Conference.  Nor 
did  he  then  cease  to  work  in  his  Master's  vineyard.  Serv- 
ing as  class-leader  over  three  large  classes,  visiting  the  sick, 
and  walking  with  God,  he  exerted  an  influence  that  was 
powerful  for  good. 

"He  had,"  says  Stevens,  "till  the  end  of  his  life,  more 
than  a  hundred  persons  under  his  care  as  a  class-leader. 
At  an  inspection  of  them  by  Jabez  Bunting,  it  was  found 
that  '  more  than  ninety  were  clear  in  their  religious  experi- 
ence, and  many  of  them  were  living  in  the  enjoyment  of  the 
perfect  love  of  God.'  He  found  a  good  wife  in  his  latter 
years,  had  a  competent  livelihood,  assembled  his  neighbor- 
ing brethren  of  the  ministry  every  Saturday  afternoon  at 
his  table,  and  enjoyed  an  enviable  old  age.  Nor  could  some 
years  of  blindness  interrupt  his  serene  happiness.     By  a 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  69 

surgical  operation  his  sight  was  restored.  '  You  will  have 
the  pleasure,'  said  his  surgeon,  '  of  seeing  to  use  your  knife 
and  fork  again.'  '  Doctor/  replied  the  veteran, '  I  shall  have 
a  greater  pleasure,  that  of  seeing  to  read  my  Bible;'  and 
the  first  use  of  his  restored  sight  was  to  read  the  sacred  pages 
through  three  delightful  hours— reading  and  weeping  with 
inexpressible  joy. 

"  The  old  soldier  of  the  cross,  worn  out  with  infirmities 
and  labors  in  both  hemispheres,  had  at  last  a  triumphant 
end.  When  informed  by  his  physician  that  his  disease  would 
be  fatal,  he  broke  out  in  rapture,  exclaiming,  '  Glory  to 
God ! '  While  he  lay  in  view  of  an  eternal  world,  and  was 
asked  if  all  was  clear  before  him,  he  replied,  '  I  bless  God 
it  is ; '  and  added,  '  Victory,  victory  through  the  blood  of 
the  Lamb ! '  Two  friends  who  were  anxious  for  his  recovery 
called  upon  him,  and  when  they  inquired  how  he  was,  he 
replied,  *  I  am  going  to  my  Father's  house,  and  find  religion 
to  be  an  angel  in  death.'  His  last  words  were,  '  I  '11  praise, 
I  '11  praise,  I'll  praise!'  He  fell  on  sleep  on  the  11th  of 
March,  1816,  in  the  seventy-eighth  year  of  his  age. 

"  George  Shadford  excelled  any  of  Wesley's  other  Amer- 
ican missionaries  in  immediate  usefulness.  His  ardor  kin- 
dled the  societies  with  zeal.  He  was  the  chief  'revivalist' 
of  the  times — a  man  of  tender  feelings,  warmest  piety,  and 
wonderful  unction  in  the  pulpit.  Asbury,  and  all  his  fel- 
low-itinerants, loved  him.  The  elder  Methodists  of  America 
long  delighted  to  recall  his  memory  as  precious.  His  preach- 
ing displayed  no  great  intellectual  ability,  but  was  pathetic 
and  consolatory,  and  abounded  in  scriptural  phraseology 
and  familiar  illustrations.  He  was  very  effective  in  prayer. 
A  Wesleyan  preacher,  who  knew  him  in  his  old  age,  records 
that  during  the  period  of  his  own  ministry  in  Frome,  where 
Shadford  resided,  '  I  have  often  experienced  the  efficacy  of 
his  prayers  in  the  soul-converting  power  it  brought  down 


70  TJie  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

upon  my  discourses.  Beiug  held  in  general  esteem  through- 
out the  town,  he  had  extensive  access  to  the  dwellings  both 
of  the  rich  and  the  poor,  and  in  his  visits  his  constant  aim 
was  to  do  good.  His  patriarchal  appearance,  his  great  sim- 
plicity and  kindness  of  manner,  and  above  all  his  unmistak- 
able piety,  always  caused  his  advice  and  admonitions  to  be 
listened  to  with  respect.  Many  sought  counsel  from  his 
lips  and  an  interest  in  his  prayers.' " 


CALEB  B.  PEDICORD. 

THE  name  of  Pedicord  is  the  first  on  the  death-roll  of 
the  Conference  after  the  organization  of  the  Church. 
While  it  is  a  matter  of  deep  regret  to  us  that  so  little  is 
now  known  of  him,  yet  enough  has  been  preserved  to  assure 
us  that  he  was  one  of  the  sweetest  spirits  that  ever  adorned 
American  Methodism.  His  obituary  was  written  at  a  time 
when  his  Church  did  not  pay  the  attention  to  the  memory 
of  her  dead  that  she  has  since  felt  constrained  to  do;  a 
time  when  the  sentiment  of  the  Conference  was,  "  The  men 
are  nothing;  the  work  is  every  thing."  The  Church  bur- 
ied her  dead  heroes  with  hardly  a  stone  to  mark  their  rest- 
ing-place ;  made  brief  mention  of  their  exit  from  this  world 
on  the  minutes,  and  hastened  to  the  field  of  conflict.  The 
tribute  paid  to  the  memory  of  Pedicord  by  his  brethren  has 
been  preserved  by  the  minutes  in  one  sentence.  Yet  when 
we  remember  that  they  were  days  when  the  preachers  were 
not  given  to  fulsome  eulogy,  this  short  and  simple  notice 
will  appear  to  us  beautiful  and  affecting.  It  reads:  "Caleb 
B.  Pedicord,  a  man  of  sorrows,  and,  like  his  Master,  ac- 
quainted with  grief;  but  a  man  dead  to  the  world,  and 
much  devoted  to  God."  At  the  time  of  his  death  no  man 
in  the  Connection  was  more  beloved  and  respected  where 
he  was  known.     He  had  won  the  implicit  confidence  of  his 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  71 

brethren,  and  throughout  the  circuits  that  he  traveled  he 
had  sustained  himself  as  a  man  of  God,  a  consecrated  hero 
of  the  gospel  of  Jesus.  He  was  just  coming  prominently 
before  the  Church  as  a  leader  worthy  to  be  loved,  honored, 
and  trusted  when  removed  by  death. 

He  was  born  on  the  western  shore  of  Maryland,  and  is 
supposed  to  have  been  converted  under  the  ministry  of 
Strawbridge,  in  Frederick  county.  He  entered  the  itiner- 
ancy in  1777,  with  such  men  as  John  Tunnell,  William 
Gill,  Leroy  Cole,  John  Dickens,  Reuben  Ellis,  and  others 
— afterward  noted  in  the  history  of  the  Church  for  piety, 
usefulness,  and  suffering — for  his  classmates.  He  is  de- 
scribed as  a  man  of  remarkably  handsome  features  and  fine 
personal  appearance.  His  countenance  bespoke  a  high  or- 
der of  intelligence,  elevated  sentiment,  and  moral  refine- 
ment, Of  his  mellifluous  voice,  both  in  preaching  and 
singing,  traditions  yet  linger.  There  was  a  quiet,  pathetic 
force  in  his  sermons  that  both  melted  and  stirred  the  hearts 
of  his  hearers.  He  was  a  true  son  of  consolation,  and  pre- 
sented a  striking  contrast  to  many  of  his  contemporaries  in 
the  pioneer  ministry  in  the  manner  of  his  pulpit  delivery. 

His  first  appointment  was  the  Frederick  Circuit,  in  Mary- 
land, where  he  had  first  united  himself  with  the  society.  He 
had  entered  the  Connection  at  a  time  when  Methodist  preach- 
ers were  suffering  great  persecution,  not  only  at  the  hands 
of  the  common  rabble,  but  from  those  who  professed  to  ad- 
minister the  laws  of  the  country.  The  attachment  of  a  few 
of  the  preachers  to  the  British  Crown  had  brought  great 
trouble  upon  the  whole  body,  and  subjected  to  like  treat- 
ment many  of  the  number  who  were  among  the  strongest 
friends  of  the  cause  of  independence.  The  political  opinions 
of  a  few  had  brought  the  whole  body  into  public  disfavor,  and 
gave  those  who  hated  Christ  and  his  gospel  a  shadow  of  ex- 
cuse to  maltreat  his  servants.     Garrettson  was  committed 


72  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

to  the  common  prison  in  one  county,  for  no  other  offense 
than  that  of  preaching,  and  in  another  he  was  beaten  nigh 
unto  death.  Hartley  was  severely  whipped,  and  afterward 
imprisoned.  Others  were  subjected  to  like  persecution,  nor 
was  Pedicord  to  escape  the  reproach  of  the  little  band  with 
whose  fortunes  he  had  cast  his  lot.  His  peaceful  habits,  his 
holy  zeal,  his  pathetic  style  of  preaching,  his  all-absorbing 
devotion  to  the  work  of  the  ministry,  were  to  be  no  protec- 
tion against  the  mad  spirit  of  the  times.  Yet  for  persecu- 
tions he  returned  love ;  for  stripes  he  returned  prayers ;  and 
sometimes  his  Christian  temper  disarmed  his  persecutors,  and 
led  them  to  embrace  the  gospel.  On  one  occasion  while  rid- 
ing along  the  public  highway,  he  was  overtaken  by  a  man, 
and  so  severely  beaten  that  he  bore  to  his  grave  the  marks 
of  his  injuries.  Beaching  a  neighboring  house,  while  the 
friendly  family  dressed  his  Avounds  and  administered  to  his 
relief,  the  brother  of  the  man  who  had  beaten  him  entered 
the  room,  and  saw  his  condition.  He  was  so  enraged  at  the 
outrage  that  he  went  forth  immediately,  swearing  vengeance 
against  his  own  brother  in  the  flesh.  Pedicord  afterward 
had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  both  of  the  brothers  happily  con- 
verted, and  of  receiving  them  into  the  Church.  He  had  im- 
bibed the  spirit  of  "the  disciple  whom  Jesus  loved,"  and, 
like  him,  rejoiced  that  "this  is  the  victory  that  overcometh 
the  world,  even  our  faith." 

In  New  Jersey  his  ministry  was  to  be  honored  in  the  con- 
version of  one  wTho  afterward  became  one  of  the  most  useful 
preachers  and  one  of  the  best  contributors  to  the  early  his- 
tory of  Methodism.  While  riding  slowly  along  the  road 
he  was  singing 

I  cannot,  I  cannot  forbear 

These  passionate  longings  for  home. 

O  when  shall  my  spirit  be  there? 
O  when  will  the  messenger  come? 


Iii  North  Carolina  cuul  Virginia.  73 

The  sweet  voice  of  the  singer,  no  less  than  the  sentiment  of 
the  song,  arrested  the  attention  of  a  young  Revolutionary 
soldier  who  was  wandering  in  a  neighboring  forest.  He  fol- 
lowed the  preacher  for  some  distance,  and  learning  that  he 
would  preach  in  the  community  that  night,  attended  the 
service.  The  sermon  was  made  the  means  of  leading  him 
to  Christ,  and  thus  Thomas  Ware — "  one  of  the  most  pure- 
minded  and  successful  of  early  Methodist  itinerants,  for  fifty 
years  a  founder  of  the  denomination  from  New  Jersey  to 
Tennessee,  from  Massachusetts  to  the  Carolinas" —  was 
brought  into  the  Connection. 

After  preaching  in  Maryland,  Delaware,  and  New  Jer- 
sey, we  find  Pedicord  in  1782  on  the  Sussex  Circuit,  in  Vir- 
ginia. He  served  this  charge  as  senior  preacher,  and  at  the 
same  time  acted  as  an  "assistant" — an  office  similar  to  that 
of  the  presiding  elder  of  our  day — and,  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  year  sent  Edward  Dromgoole  and  Jesse  Lee  "to  that 
part  of  North  Carolina  which  lies  to  the  north  and  west  of 
Edehton,  for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  new  circuit." 

Meager  as  is  the  information  that  has  been  transmitted  to 
us,  enough  is  known  to  convince  us  that  Pedicord  was  a 
worthy  leader  of  the  "sacramental  hosts"  in  his  day,  that 
he  bore  on  his  heart  the  burden  of  souls,  and  that  he  was 
vigilant  and  untiring  in  his  devotion  to  the  work  of  extend- 
ing the  cause  of  Christ.  Wherever  he  labored,  tradition 
has  perpetuated  his  fame  as  a  preacher,  and  marvelous 
things  are  told  of  his  power  in  the  pulpit.  Lednum  tells 
us  that  he  "was  every  thing  that  could  be  desired  in  a 
Methodist  preacher."  Garrettson,  his  companion  in  tribu- 
lation, years  after  Pedicord  had  gone  to  his  reward,  paid 
the  following  tribute  to  his  memory,  in  a  semi-centennial 
sermon  delivered  before  the  New  York  Conference:  "Caleb 
B.  Pedicord,"  said  he,  commemorating  some  of  the  heroes 
of  those  early  days,  "was  instrumental  in  bringing  many 


74  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

souls  to  God.  He  was  constitutionally  subject  to  dejection, 
which  sometimes  led  him  to  doubt  his  call  to  preach,  and 
induced  him  to  think  of  returning  home.  I  remember  a 
speech  he  made  in  a  love-feast  (during  the  sitting  of  the 
Conference  at  Baltimore)  which  moved  the  whole  assembly. 
He  rose  up,  bathed  in  tears,  and  said :  '  My  friends,  I  have 
labored  under  heavy  trials  the  past  year.  I  was  afraid  that 
I  was  doing  no  good,  and  that  I  was  not  called  to  preach ; 
but  shortly  before  I  left  my  circuit  I  went  to  a  house  where 
I  met  an  aged  negro  woman,  who  told  me  that  what  I  had 
said  to  her  when  I  was  there  on  a  former  occasion  had  been 
the  means  of  awakening  her  and  bringing  her  to  God.  "  I 
bless  the  Lord,"  said  she,  "  that  ever  I  saw  you ;  for  I  am 
now  happy  in  God  my  Saviour!"  O  how  greatly  did  this 
encourage  me!  for  I  thought  it  was  better  to  gain  one  soul 
to  Christ  than  to  acquire  all  the  riches  of  the  world.  And 
now  I  am  encouraged  to  go  forward  in  the  good  work ;  and 
God  being  my  helper,  I  will  spend  the  remainder  of  my  life 
wholly  in  his  service.'  After  this,  he  served  the  Church  sev- 
eral years,  and  then  went  home  to  glory." 

It  was  through  Pedicord's  godly  influence  that  Thomas 
Ware  and  Joseph  Everett — two  of  the  most  valuable  men 
of  their  day — were  induced  to  enter  the  ranks  of  the  itiner- 
ancy. Everett  had  been,  as  he  said,  one  of  Bunyan's  "  big- 
gest Jerusalem  sinners."  After  his  conversion,  Pedicord 
gave  him  license  to  exhort,  and  encouraged  him  to  enter  the 
fields  then  white  unto  the  harvest.  While  Ware  was  hesi- 
tating as  to  his  duty,  his  "spiritual  father,"  Pedicord,  wrote 
him  the  following  letter,  which  proved  the  means  of  banish- 
ing his  doubts,  and  will,  no  doubt,  be  read  with  interest  by 
many  a  young  itinerant  of  the  present  day.  The  letter 
breathes  the  spirit  of  the  man  who  penned  it.  The  banner 
of  the  cross  he  had  so  long  and  so  bravely  borne  was  to 
fall  from  his  hand,  as  he  fell  at  his  post,  only  to  be  caught 


hi  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  7~> 

up  by  another,  and  borne  on  to  victory.  He  seems  to  feel 
while  he  writes  that  his  departure  is  at  hand,  and  that  an- 
other must  soon  supply  his  place.  "  He  who  claims  all  souls 
as  his  own,"  he  writes,  "and  wills  them  to  be  saved,  does 
sometimes  from  the  common  walks  of  life  choose  men  who 
have  learned  of  him  to  be  lowly  in  heart,  and  bids  them  go 
and  invite  the  world  to  the  great  supper.  The  Lord  is  at 
this  time  carrying  on  a  great  and  glorious  work,  chiefly  by 
young  men  like  yourself.  O  come  and  share  in  the  happy 
toil  and  in  the  great  reward !  Mark  me !  Though  seven  win- 
ters have  now  passed  over  me,  and  much  of  the  way  has  been 
dreary  enough,  yet  God  has  been  with  me  and  kept  me  in 
the  way,  and  often  whispered, '  Thou  art  mine,  and  all  I  have 
is  thine.'  He  has,  moreover,  given  me  sons  and  daughters 
too,  born  not  of  the  flesh,  but  of  God ;  and  who  can  estimate 
the  joy  I  have  in  one  destined,  I  hope,  to  fill  my  place  in 
the  itinerant  ranks  when  I  am  gone  ?  Who,  then,  will  say 
that  mine  was  not  a  happy  lot?  'Tis  well  you  have  made 
haste.  Much  more  than  I  can  express  have  I  wished  you 
in  the  ranks  before  mine  eyes  have  closed  in  death  on  all 
below.  When  Asbury  pressed  me  to  become  an  itinerant, 
I  said :  '  God  has  called  me  to  preach,  and  woe  unto  me  if  I 
preach  not ;  but  I  had  no  conviction  that  he  had  called  me  to 
itinerate.'  '  Xo  conviction,  my  son,'  said  he  to  me  sternly, 
'  that  you  should  follow  the  direction  of  him  who  commissioned 
you  to  preach !  Has  the  charge  given  to  the  disciples,  "  Go 
and  evangelize  the  world,"  been  revoked?  Is  the  world 
evangelized?'  He  said  no  more.  I  looked  at  the  world; 
it  was  not  evangelized.  The  world  must  be  evangelized; 
it  should  long  since  have  been  so,  and  would  have  been  so 
had  all  who  professed  to  be  ministers  of  Christ  been  such* 
as  were  the  first  gospel  preachers  and  professors;  for  who 
can  contend  with  him  who  is  Lord  of  lords  and  Kino-  of 
kings,  when  they  that  arc  with  him  in  the  character  of  mill- 


76  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

isters  and  members  are  called  and  chosen  and  faithful? 
Here  the  drama  ends  not,  but  the  time,  we  think,  is  near — 
even  at  the  door.  Nothing  can  kill  the  itinerant  spirit 
which  Wesley  has  inspired.  It  has  lived  through  the  Rev- 
olutionary War,  and  will  live  through  all  future  time. 
Christendom  will  become  more  enlightened,  will  feel  a  di- 
vine impulse,  and  a  way  will  be  cast  upon  which  itinerants 
may  swiftly  move,  and  in  sufficient  numbers  to  teach  all 
nations  the  commands  of  God." 

Pedicord  served  the  Church  as  an  "  assistant"  in  Southern 
Virginia  for  two  years,  and  particularly  on  Sussex  and  Meck- 
lenburg circuits  were  his  labors  fruitful  in  the  conversion 
of  souls. 

From  the  Conference  held  in  Baltimore  May  28,  1784, 
he  was  appointed  to  the  Baltimore  Circuit.  This  was  his 
last  field  of  labor.  On  it  he  laid  down  the  cross  to  take  up 
his  everlasting  crown.  Some  of  our  historians  speak  of  him 
as  present  at  the  Christmas  Conference  in  the  city  of  Balti- 
more at  the  close  of  this  year.  We  know  not  by  what  au- 
thority this  statement  is  sustained,  and  Ave  think  it  exceed- 
ingly doubtful.  At  any  rate,  when  the  Conference  met  in 
1785  he  was  not  present  with  his  brethren.  In  three  lines 
on  their  minutes  they  made  mention  of  his  worth ;  and  cher- 
ishing in  their  hearts  his  memory,  they  turned  from  his  grave 
to  the  field  of  action. 


EDWARD  DROMGOOLE. 

IF  oratory  be  the  power  of  presenting  truth  in  such  a  man- 
ner as  to  elicit  the  attention  and  convince  the  judgment 
of  the  hearers,  and  then  move  them  to  action ;  if,  as  one  has 
said,  "  a  man,  to  be  an  orator,  must  have  something  to  say, 
something  which  in  his  very  soul  he  feels  to  be  worth  say- 
ing, and  he  must  so  enter  into  the  sympathies  of  his  hearers 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  77 

that  his  smile  shall  be  their  smile,  his  tear  their  tear,  and 
the  throb  of  his  heart  the  throb  of  the  hearts  of  the  whole 
assembly,"  we  may  safely  say  that  some  of  the  field  preach- 
ers of  early  Methodism  were  notably  gifted  in  this  respect. 
The  terrible  burden  of  responsibility  which  they  felt  to  de- 
volve upon  them  as  watchmen  on  the  hill-tops  of  Zion,  as 
embassadors  for  Christ,  and  as  intercessors  on  the  threshold 
of  mercy  to  introduce  the  sinner  to  Jesus — the  fearful  peril 
in  which  they  saw  the  world  to  lie,  and  the  great  love  for 
humanity  which  their  religion  taught  them  to  exercise — de- 
veloped in  the  "Thundering  Legion"  a  peculiar  and  very 
high  type  of  oratory.  If  they  are  judged  by  the  rules  of 
elocution  that  too  often  prevail  in  our  day,  and  which  tend 
to  submerge  the  natural  in  the  artificial,  and  produce  upon 
the  hearer  an  impression  similar  to  the  effect  of  perfect  yet 
lifeless,  soulless  statues  of  polished  marble,  they  will  be  found 
to  be  sadly  wanting ;  but  if  our  definition  of  oratory  be  cor- 
rect, if  that  gift  be  the  power  of  making  mind  move  upon 
mind,  and  soul  upon  soul,  then  among  the  pioneers  of  Amer- 
ican Methodism  are  names  that  deserve  a  place  on  the  roll 
of  the  most  gifted  orators  of  our  republic. 

The  second  Annual  Conference  of  the  Methodist  preach- 
ers in  America  convened  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia  on  the 
25th  of  May,  1774.  In  answer  to  the  question  "Who  are 
admitted  on  trial?"  we  find  seven  names  given,  among  them 
one  that  was  to  fill  no  mean  place  in  the  history  of  Method- 
ism— Edward  Dromgoole.  He  was  an  Irishman,  had  emi- 
grated to  America,  and  was  one  of  the  earliest  Methodist 
converts  in  the  city  of  Baltimore.  Possessed  in  a  remark- 
able degree  of  the  gift  of  oratory  so  peculiar  to  his  country- 
men, he  impressed  himself  upon  the  period  in  which  he  lived 
as  one  of  the  leading  spirits  of  the  Methodist  movement. 
Burdened  with  the  conviction  of  the  world's  peril  and  his 
own  responsibility,  his  impassioned  delivery  attracted  gen- 


78  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

eral  attention,  and  "was  calculated  to  awaken  the  conscience 
and  awe  the  mind  into  reverence." 

His  first  appointment  was  Baltimore  Circuit,  to  which  he 
was  sent  with  George  Shadford,  Richard  Webster,  and  Rob- 
ert Lindsay.  At  the  ensuing  Conference  they  reported  on 
this  field  a  gain  of  one  hundred  and  two  members.  The 
next  year,  1775,  he  was  sent,  with  Williams,  Shadford, 
Lindsay,  and  Glendenning,  to  Brunswick  Circuit,  Virginia. 
This  circuit  had  been  so  extended  as  to  embrace  fourteen 
counties  in  Virginia  and  what  were  then  known  as  Halifax 
and  Bute  counties  in  North  Carolina.  There  were  at  that 
time  eight  hundred  members  on  this  charge.  At  the  ensu- 
ing Conference  they  reported  sixteen  hundred  and  eleven, 
a  net  gain  of  eight  hundred  and  eleven,  and  the  result  of 
one  of  the  most  wonderful  revivals  even  in  the  history  of 
early  Methodism.  In  1776  he  was  sent,  with  Francis  Poy- 
thress  and  Isham  Tatum,  to  Carolina  Circuit,  which  had  been 
formed  at  this  Conference — Brunswick  Circuit  still  retaining 
that  part  of  North  Carolina  afterward  known  as  Roanoke 
Circuit.  On  Carolina  Circuit  there  were  at  this  time  six 
hundred  and  eighty -three  members.  At  the  close  of  the 
year  they  reported  nine  hundred  and  thirty,  a  gain  of  two 
hundred  and  forty-seven. 

In  1777  he  was  sent  to  Amelia,  and  in  1778  to  Sussex, 
Va.  We  then  see  nothing  more  of  him  on  the  minutes  until 
1783.  It  is  quite  probable  that  he  remained  in  Sussex,  for 
we  find  that  in  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1782  Caleb  B. 
Pedicord  (preacher  in  charge  of  Sussex  Circuit)  wrote  to 
Jesse  Lee,  then  a  young  local  preacher  in  North  Carolina, 
requesting  him  "  to  go  with  Edward  Dromgoole  to  that  part 
of  North  Carolina  lying  north  and  west  of  Edenton,  for  the 
purpose  of  forming  a  new  circuit."  They  went,  reaching 
Edenton  December  1,  1783.  They  were  kindly  received 
by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Pettigrew,  of  that  town,  preached  there, 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  79 

and  made  a  tour  of  the  surrounding  country,  extending  their 
travels  as  far  as  Norfolk  county,  Virginia.  We  do  not  know 
much  about  the  places  of  which  they  speak,  but  the  circuit 
which  they  formed  (Camden)  is  the  monument  to  their  la- 
bors. They  tell  us  of  Mr.  Jones's,  at  Plank  Bridge  (Pas- 
quotank River) — where  "about  thirty  people  came  out  in 
about  an  hour's  notice"  to  hear  Dromgoole  preach,  and 
"who  appeared  to  be  desirous  for  them  to  come  again,  as 
they  had  so  little  opportunity  to  hear  preaching ; "  of  Hal- 
stead's,  of  the  North-west  Brick  Church,  of  Col.  Williams — 
"  a  man  who  feared  God,  and  was  pleased  at  their  calling  on 
him ; "  of  Indian  Town,  of  Gen.  Gregory,  of  Mrs.  Sawyer, 
of  River  Bridge — where  they  had  "  a  large  company  of  well- 
behaved  people,  and  a  solemn  and  profitable  time ; "  of  Yeo- 
pin  Church,  and  of  their  return  to  Edenton  and  stopping 
with  Mr.  Pettigrew.  They  had  traveled  sixteen  days,  and 
had  held  nineteen  meetings,  forming  a  circuit  with  twenty- 
two  members  for  the  next  Conference  to  supply  with  a 
preacher. 

The  neople  of  the  Albermarle  section  —  especially  the 
Methodists — should  venerate  the  names  of  Edward  Drom- 
goole and  Jesse  Lee.  Lee  tells  us  that  "  some  of  these  peo- 
ple had  formerly  been  in  society  with  the  Methodists,"  but 
"during  the  Revolutionary  War  the  preachers  left  them, 
and  they  were  without  preaching  for  about  five  years." 

In  1784  Dromgoole  was  sent  to  Mecklenburg  Circuit.  In 
1785  he  was  sent,  with  Ira  Ellis,  to  Bertie  Circuit,  North 
Carolina.     In  1786  to  Brunswick  Circuit,  Virginia. 

The  last  mention  made  of  him  on  the  printed  minutes 
was  in  1786,  in  answer  to  the  question  "Who  desist  from 
traveling?"  when  his  name  appears. 

Among  the  Methodist  converts  on  the  Brunswick  Circuit 
during  the  great  revival  of  1775  was  a  Miss  Walton,  the 
daughter  of  Mr.  John  Walton,  a  most  respectable  citizen  of 


80  The  Pioneer*  of  Methodism 

that  county.  She  was  a  most  estimable  young  lady,  of  re- 
fined sensibilities,  cultivated  tastes,  and  polished  manners. 
Soon  after  her  conversion  she  connected  herself  with  the 
Methodists,  and  on  the  7th  of  March,  1777,  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Edward  Dromgoole.  Together  they  lived  in 
happy  wedlock  during  the  extended  period  of  forty-nine 
years  and  eleven  days,  when  she  was  removed  by  death, 
leaving  her  husband  to  wait  yet  a  few  years  on  the  shores  of 
time  before  meeting  with  her  in  the  better  land.  She  was 
the  mother  of  ten  children,  only  four  of  whom  survived  her. 
"While  this  union  in  a  few  years  necessitated  Dromgoole's 
location,  owing  to  the  extremely  limited  provision  made  for 
ministers'  support,  he  continued  to  the  day  of  his  death  to 
evince  the  warmest  attachment  and  devotion  to  the  Church 
of  his  choice.  At  his  house  a  cordial  hospitality  was  lav- 
ished upon  her  servants,  and  in  the  local  relation  it  was  no 
mean  service  that  he  bestowed.  When  his  duties  at  home 
would  permit,  he  would  again  buckle  on  the  armor,  and  go 
over  the  old  fields,  proclaiming,  with  all  the  impassioned 
zeal  that  characterized  his  first  love,  the  blessed  gospel  of 
the  Son  of  God.  The  late  Rev.  Benjamin  Devaney  has  left 
us  an  interesting  description  of  one  such  occasion.  Says  he: 
"At  a  camp-meeting,  when  he  entered  the  stand  he  deliber- 
ately pulled  off  his  coat  and  his  neck-cloth,  which  was  noth- 
ing unusual  with  the  old  preachers  of  that  day,  and  began 
by  saying  that  in  order  that  the  attention  of  the  people 
might  not  be  drawn  off  by  wondering  who  the  preacher 
was,  he  would  tell  them :  '  You  recollect  about  thirty  years 
ago  there  was  a  young  man  who  traveled  here  by  the  name 
of  Edward  Dromgoole.  I  am  the  man.'  He  then  announced 
his  text,  'God  hath  spoken  once;  twice  have  I  heard  this, 
that  power  belongeth  unto  God.'  The  sermon  that  followed 
was  at  its  height,  and  its  application  awfully  sublime  and 
beyond  description." 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  81 

He  was  universally  beloved  by  his  contemporaries,  and 
was  described  by  them  as  a  strong  preacher,  "searching  the 
heart  and  stripping  the  sinner  and  false  professor  of  every 
subterfuge;  sometimes  proclaiming  the  law  from  Sinai  to 
shake  the  conscience  of  the  sinner,  and  then  pointing  him 
to  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  to  wash  away  his  sins."  He 
was  the  bosom  friend  of  Bishop  Asbury  and  Jesse  Lee,  and 
they  always  allude  to  him  in  terms  of  the  most  endearing 
relation.  Tradition  has  perpetuated  his  fame  as  a  preacher, 
and  the  story  of  some  of  his  pulpit  efforts  will  form  a  part 
of  the  romance  of  Methodist  history. 

We  cannot  but  regret  the  course  pursued  by  the  leaders 
of  Methodism  in  its  infancy  in  regard  to  ministerial  support 
■ — a  course  which  drove  from  the  regular  work  such  men  as 
Dromgoole,  and  deprived  the  Church  in  great  measure  of 
the  services  of  some  of  her  most  gifted  preachers.  Bishop 
Asbury's  position  on  this  matter  is  well  known.  While  a 
truly  good  and  great  man,  ever  ready  to  divide  his  own 
money  with  his  suffering  preachers,  he  made  a  grievous 
mistake  just  here.  Following  the  erroneous  opinion  that 
his  preachers  would  be  more  pious,  more  faithful,  and  more 
useful  as  single  men,  and  that  a  life  of  the  most  abject  pov- 
erty was  best  calculated  to  develop  the  deepest  humility 
and  turn  the  minds  of  the  preachers  from  the  perishing 
treasures  of  earth  to  the  enduring  riches  of  heaven,  he  dis- 
couraged every  effort  looking  to  an  adequate  and  comforta- 
ble ministerial  support,  and  would  sometimes  in  his  public 
devotions  pray  "that  the  preachers  might  be  kept  poor." 
Late  in  life  he  expressed  himself  as  cherishing  the  opinion 
that  if  so  many  of  his  preachers  had  not  located,  the  Meth- 
odists would  by  that  time  have  taken  the  continent.  Yet  he 
never  seems  to  have  seen  the  mistake  in  his  own  course  in 
regard  to  the  matter.  But  though  reduced  to  the  necessity 
of  locating  in  order  to  support  their  families,  these  men  were 
G 


82  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

by  no  means  idle,  and  among  the  local  ranks  were  to  be 
found  some  of  the  Church's  most  useful  workmen.  Like 
Dromgoole,  they  continued  to  travel  when  they  could,  as- 
sisting in  public  meetings,  laying  the  foundations  for  new 
circuits,  building  new  churches,  organizing  new  societies, 
and  setting  a  good  example  to  the  rest  of  the  members  by 
liberally  contributing  of  their  means  to  the  enterprises  of 
the  Church. 

Dromgoole  lived  to  see  Methodism  spread  from  Canada  to 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  far  West. 
Its  success  surpassed  the  most  sanguine  hopes  and  more  than 
verified  the  happiest  dreams  of  its  founders.  The  grain  of 
mustard-seed  became  a  great  tree,  and  the  tender  vine,  plant- 
ed by  loving  hands,  and  watered  with  tears  and  prayers  and 
sufferings,  grew  until  under  its  shadow  thousands  of  happy 
hearts  found  a  refuge  and  "  rejoiced  in  hope  of  the  glory  of 
God."  From  a  small  and  insignificant  band  in  the  beginning, 
the  Church  of  his  love  had  become  a  mighty  power  for  good 
in  the  land;  and  the  despised  sect  of  "people  called  Method- 
ists" was  second  to  none  of  the  leading  evangelical  denom- 
inations in  strength  and  usefulness,  when  in  the  evening  of 
life  he  reflected  upon  the  past  and  anticipated  the  future. 
Lingering  on  the  shore  of  time,  his  own  beautiful  Christian 
life  gave  evidence  of  the  growth  in  him  of  the  grace  of  God 
that  he  professed,  and  revealed  the  molding  touch  of  the 
Divine  Spirit.  He  died  in  1836,  leaving  many  descend- 
ants. His  youngest  son  was  a  distinguished  orator  and  po- 
litical leader,  and  was  for  many  years  a  leading  member  of 
Congress  from  Virginia.  A  grandson,  Rev.  Edward  Drom- 
goole Sims,  A.M.,  was  for  several  years  a  professor  in  Ran- 
dolph-Macon College,  and  in  La  Grange  College,  and  in  the 
University  of  Alabama. 


In. North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  83 

FRANCIS   POYTHRESS. 

'TpHE  righteous  perisheth,  and  no  man  layeth  it  to 
-L  heart."  Churches,  as  well  as  republics,  are  ungrate- 
ful ;  and  in  nothing  is  this  spirit  of  ingratitude  more  pain- 
fully and  more  clearly  revealed  than  in  our  forgetfulness  of 
the  dead.  Even  in  North  Carolina,  where  he  was  one  of  the 
first  preachers  of  Methodism,  and  one  of  the  three  circuit- 
riders  sent  to  the  first  field  formed  within  her  bounds,  the 
name  of  Francis  Poythress  is  little  known — so  little  known 
that  it  falls  as  an  unfamiliar  sound  upon  many  a  Methodist 
ear.  The  man  who  was  among  the  very  first  to  introduce 
and  carry  forward  the  Wesleyan  movement  in  Virginia  and 
North  Carolina,  and  who  was  foremost  in  the  heroic  little 
band  who  planted  the  standard  of  the  cross  on  the  other  side 
of  the  Alleghanies;  the  man  whom  Asbury  earnestly  en- 
deavored to  have  elevated  to  the  office  of  bishop,  and  whom 
Stevens  declares  to  have  been  "  a  giant  among  his  greatest 
compeers;"  the  man  who  deliberately  renounced  the  ease 
and  luxury  of  wealth  and  social  position  to  endure  the  hard- 
ships and  undergo  the  toils  of  the  pioneer  ministry,  and  who 
at  last  broke  down,  mentally  and  physically,  under  the  su- 
perabundance of  his  cares  and  labors,  has  been  well-nigh 
forgotten.  "We  reap  the  fruits  of  the  labors  of  such  men; 
we  enjoy  the  heritage  their  self-sacrifice  and  their  sufferings 
won  for  us — let  us  tread  lightly  over  their  graves;  let  us 
raise  over  their  resting-places  stones  that  will  commemorate 
their  deeds  and  express  our  veneration ;  let  us  gather  from 
the  fast  receding  past  the  stories  of  their  toils  and  triumphs 
— they  made  history,  it  behooves  us  to  write  it, 

Francis  Poythress  was  a  native  of  Virginia.  Born  of 
wealthy  parents,  he  inherited  large  estates  and  occupied  a 
high  social  position.  But  he  was  a  spoiled  child  of  fortune, 
and  like  so  many  others  in  similar  circumstances,  he  early 


84  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

fell  into  dissipated  habits,  and  gave  little  promise  of  ever 
doing  service  for  the  Church  or  the  world.  While  pursuing 
his  wild  course,  he  was,  on  one  occasion,  sharply  reproved 
for  his  conduct  by  a  lady,  like  himself,  of  high  social  rank. 
The  reproof  was  timely.  It  proved  an  arrow  of  conviction, 
reaching  his  heart  and  causing  him  to  reflect.  He  became 
alarmed  for  his  soul's  safety.  His  past  sins  rose  up  as  a 
mountain  before  him,  and  his  soul  was  burdened  with  a  con- 
sciousness of  guilt.  For  some  time  he  wandered  in  dark- 
ness. There  were  none  around  him  to  whom  he  could  go 
for  comfort  oi>  advice.  Finally,  he  heard  of  the  saintly  Rev. 
Devereux  Jarratt,  who  wras  preaching  of  regeneration  and 
adoption  on  Bath  parish.  To  him  he  went  for  instruction, 
and  by  him  he  was  effectually  led  to  the  foot  of  the  cross 
and  pointed  to  the  sinner's  Friend.  Light  poured  upon  his 
soul  and  darkness  fled;  the  "spirit  of  heaviness"  was  ex- 
changed for  the  "  garment  of  praise ; "  and  a  joy  "  unspeak- 
able and  full  of  glory"  filled  his  heart.  And  with  this  new- 
found joy  came  the  conviction  that  he  must  preach.  He 
did  not  hesitate ;  he  was  not  disobedient  to  the  divine  com- 
mand ;  he  did  not  falter  at  the  sight  of  the  cross  he  was  to 
take  up  and  bear  until  his  physical  and  mental  powers  should 
fail  beneath  it.  He  began  at  once  to  labor  with  Jarratt  in 
calling  the  people  to  holiness  of  life. 

About  this  time,  George  Shadford,  with  four  other  preach- 
ers, was  thundering  the  law  of  Sinai  and  echoing  the  strains 
of  calvary  on  Brunswick  Circuit.  One  of  the  greatest  re- 
vivals recorded  in  the  annals  of  Methodism  was  the  result. 
The  flame  swept  every  thing  before  it.  Nothing  like  it  had 
ever  before  been  seen  in  Virginia;  perhaps  nothing  like  it 
has  ever  been  seen  there  since.  The  most  hardened  sinners 
stood  aghast  at  the  new  and  strange  power  that  attended  the 
meetings,  and  then  fell  to  the  earth  and  cried  for  mercy. 
It  amounted  to  a  revolution.      Francis  iVsbury  hastened 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  85 

from  Norfolk  to  assist  in  the  work  and  swell  the  triumph- 
ant shout.  Under  these  circumstances  a  quarterly-meeting 
was  held  on  this  circuit,  November  7, 1775,  and  here  Fran- 
cis Poythress  entered  the  itinerancy.  He  brought  into  the 
ranks  of  the  thundering  legion  a  restless,  passionate,  toil- 
some love  for  the  Master,  and  a  burning  desire  for  the  spir- 
itual elevation  of  mankind  that  was  to  lead  him  through  dan- 
ger and  labor  to  the  utmost  limit  of  his  power  of  endurance. 
He  was  first  appointed  to  the  Carolina  Circuit.  AVe  are 
accustomed  to  say  that  this  was  the  first  circuit  formed  with- 
in the  bounds  of  this  State;  but  the  reader  must  remember 
that  circuits  were  not  formed  then  as  now ;  the  boundary 
lines  were  not  defined  as  now ;  there  was  no  danger  of  one 
preacher  encroaching  upon  another's  field;  there  were 
no  churches  awaiting  the  weekly  service,  no  folds  antici- 
pating the  tender  shepherd's  loving  care.  Methodism 
was  "  Christianity  in  earnest."  It  was  no  hospital  for  sick 
folks  to  be  petted  and  nursed  in,  but  to  "join  society"  meant 
to  fall  into  line  and  move  forward.  Poythress,  Dromgoole, 
and  Tatum  understood  their  marching  orders.  The  order 
was,  in  substance,  just  this:  "Through  the  preaching  of 
Pilmoor  and  Williams,  and  a  few  local  preachers,  such  as 
Green  Hill,  we  have  six  hundred  and  eighty-three  members 
scattered  over  North  Carolina;  go  over  and  possess  the 
land."  And  they  went ;  went  in  the  name  of  the  Master ; 
went  in  search  of  the  perishing;  went  to  attack  everywhere 
the  forces  of  sin ;  went  expecting  to  "  possess  the  land."  "All 
things  are  possible  to  him  that  believeth."  That  was  the 
battle-cry,  and  every  true  man  among  them  believed  it.  It 
nerved  every  heart,  and  baptized  that  little  band  of  heroes 
and  martyrs  with  a  power  by  which — figuratively,  at  least — 
they  "subdued  kingdoms,  wrought  righteousness,  obtained 
promises,  stopped  the  mouths  of  lions,  quenched  the  violence 
of  fire,  escaped  the  edge  of  the  sword,  out  of  weakness  were 


86  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

made  strong,  waxed  valiant  in  fight,  turned  to  flight  the 
armies  of  the  aliens." 

After  opening  the  way  in  North  Carolina,  we  find  Poy- 
thress  traveling  the  Hanover  and  Sussex  circuits  in  Vir- 
ginia, New  Hope  in  North  Carolina,  and  Fairfax  in  Vir- 
ginia. In  1783  we  find  him  pioneering  the  way  and  bearing 
the  banner  of  Methodism  across  the  Alleghanies  to  the  wa- 
ters of  the  Youghiogheny.  At  this  day  we  will  have  to  draw 
upon  our  imagination  to  form  any  correct  idea  of  the  suffer- 
ings he  endured  in  these  wilds;  but  success  crowned  his 
efforts,  and  the  way  was  opened  for  others  to  follow. 

In  1786  we  find  him  presiding  elder  over  Brunswick, 
Sussex,  and  Amelia  circuits  in  Virginia,  and  in  1787  over 
Guilford,  Halifax,  and  New  Hope  and  Caswell  circuits  in 
North  Carolina.  The  greatest  part  of  his  labors  were  now 
to  be  spent  in  the  wilds  of  Tennessee  and  Kentucky.  Of 
his  work  in  the  latter  State,  Dr.  Bedford,  in  his  "  History  of 
Methodism  in  Kentucky,"  says:  "He  was  more  intimately 
identified  with  the  rise  and  progress  of  Methodism  in  Ken- 
tucky than  any  other  minister.  For  ten  consecutive  years 
he  had  charge  of  the  Kentucky  District,  and,  in  the  absence 
of  Bishop  Asbury,  presided  over  the  Annual  Conferences. 
1  Grave  in  his  deportment,  chaste  in  his  conversation,  con- 
stant in  his  private  devotions,  and  faithful  in  the  discharge 
of  his  ministerial  duties,'  he  exerted  an  influence  for  Meth- 
odism, and  contributed  to  its  success  in  Kentucky,  to  an 
extent  that  can  be  claimed  for  no  other  man.  When  we 
recount  his  excessive  and  constant  labors  through  twenty- 
four  years,  having  'never  been  known  to  disappoint  a  con- 
gregation, unless  prevented  by  sickness  or  disease,'  with  the 
weight  of  so  many  churches  resting  upon  him,  we  are  fiot 
surprised  that  his  physical  strength  should  have  given  way ; 
and  to  the  Church  it  is  a  cause  for  gratitude  to  God  that 
his  noble  intellect  did  not  become  impaired  in  the  morn  or 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  87 

noon  of  life.  It  was  not  until  he  had  entered  '  its  sear  and 
yellow  leaf  that  he  gave  any  indications  of  the  overthrow 
of  his  reason." 

The  following  incident  relative  to  him,  and  illustrating 
the  habits  of  life  on  the  frontier  at  that  time,  we  quote  from 
an  interesting  little  volume  of  reminiscences,  entitled  "  Early 
Times  in  Middle  Tennessee:" 

"At  that  day  our  fare  in  this  country  was  extremely  rough, 
as  already  observed;  but  I  never  heard  the  old  elder  com- 
plain of  any  thing  set  before  him?  One  incident  I  must 
mention.  Knowing  our  destitution,  and  being  quite  weakly, 
he  had  provided  himself  with  a  canister  of  tea,  which  he 
carried  with  him.  One  night,  having  stopped  at  the  house 
of  a  brother,  he  gave  the  canister  to  the  good  sister,  with  a 
request  that  she  would  make  some  tea  for  him.  She  took  it 
to  the  kitchen,  and  having  poured  the  leaves  into  a  vessel, 
she  gave  them  a  thorough  boiling ;  then,  putting  them  into 
a  pewter  plate,  she  brought  them  and  set  them  before  her 
guest.  This  done,  she  began,  in  the  kindness  of  her  heart, 
to  apologize  to  the  old  elder  because  she  could  not  boil  the 
tea  dozen.  He  looked  at  it,  and  simply  said :  '  Why,  sister, 
you  have  spoiled  all  my  tea;  it  was  the  broth  I  wanted.' 
You  may  think  it  strange  that  a  married  woman  should  be 
so  ignorant,  but  it  was  even  the  case.  In  fact,  I  assure  you, 
when  I  was  married  I  do  not  believe  I  had  drank  a  half- 
dozen  cups  of  coffee,  and  I  know  not  that  I  had  ever  seen 
any  specimen  of  imported  tea." 

And  there  was  danger  to  be  encountered,  as  well  as  hard- 
ships to  be  endured,  on  these  fields.  The  writer  just  quoted 
— himself  an  eye-witness — observes:  "We  cannot  but  ob- 
serve with  wonder  and  praise  how  the  providence  of  God 
guarded  and  preserved  those  bold  itinerants,  while  they  took 
their  lives  in  their  hands  and  went  forth  preaching  the  gos- 
pel from  station  to  station,  and  from  neighborhood  to  neigh- 


88  The  Pioneers  of  Method  hm 

borhood,  even  where  the  people  had  Bottled  away  from  the 
forts.     In  the  midst  of  all  the  dangers  of  the  day — the  \\ar 

with  the  Indians  raging,  and  blood  flowing  freely  on  every 
hand — not  one  of  the  preachers  was  killed;  and  I  know  not 
a  single  instance  of  a  failure  to  iill  an  appointment,  though 
frequently  we  had  to  guard  them  from  place  to  place,  and 
I  have  myself  been  employed  for  five  or  six  days  together; 
and  this,  too,  at  times  when  the  Indians  were  in  the  habit 
of  lying  in  ambush  near  the  paths  leading  from  fort  to  fort. 
Surely,  those  were  sea^&is  of  peril,  but  the  providence  of 
God  preserved  those  men  of  God." 

In  1797  Asbury  warmly  recommended  to  the  Conference 
at  Wilbraham  the  election  of  Povthress  to  the  office  of  bish- 
op, but  they  declined  solely  on  the  ground  that  that  was  a 
matter  to  be  decided  only  by  the  General  Conference. 

Povthress  was  a  warm  advocate  of  the  cause  of  education, 
and  was  earnest  and  persistent  in  his  efforts  to  enforce  upon 
the  Church  her  duty  to  train  her  children  mentally  as  well 
as  morally.  Stevens  says:  "He  was  the  chief  founder  of 
the  first  Methodist  seminary  in  the  West — the  Bethel  Acad- 
emy, in  Jessamine  county,  Kentucky.  Its  edifice  was  a 
large  brick  structure  of  two  stories,  and  it  had  incurred  a 
considerable  debt,  which  weighed  down  his  noble  mind  till 
it  sunk  in  ruins.  All  efforts  of  himself,  Valentine  Cook,  and 
other  co-laborers,  to  retrieve  the  institution  failed,  and  Pov- 
thress lingered  a  wreck  like  his  favorite  project." 

Mr.  Finley,   in  his  "Sketches  of  Western  Methodism," 

:  "In  the  year  1800  he  was  sent  to  a  district  in  North 

Carolina,   embracing  fifteen  circuits.*     His  removal  to  a 

field,  among  strangers,  and  the  subjection,  if  possible,  to 

*The  fifteen  circuits  mentioned  above  were:  Morganton  and  Swa- 
nino,  Yadkin,  Salisbury,  Haw  River,  Guilford,  Franklin,  Caswell, 
Tar  River,  New  Berne,  Goshen,  Wilmington,  Contentney,  Pamlico, 
Roanoke,  Mattamoskeet,  and  Banks. 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  89 

greater  hardships  than  he  had  endured  in  former  fields, 
without  a  companion  save  the  companionship  which  he 
gained  at  different  and  distant  points  among  his  brethren, 
preyed  heavily  upon  his  system,  shattering  his  nerves,  and 
making  fearful  inroads  upon  a  mind  naturally  of  a  too  con- 
templative if  not  somber  cast,  and  seasons  of  gloom  and 
darkness  gathered  around  him.  He  should  at  once  have 
desisted,  and  sought  that  rest  and  society  for  which  he  so 
much  longed,  among  the  friends  and  companions  of  his 
youth ;  but  alas !  the  necessity  that  rested  in  those  days  upon 
a  Methodist  preacher,  stern  as  fate,  kept  him  at  his  post, 
and  he  toiled  on  till  his  shattered  frame,  like  the  broken 
strings  of  a  harp,  could  only  sigh  to  the  winds  that  swept 
through  it;  and  his  mind,  in  deep  sympathy  witfi  his  frame, 
became  alike  shattered  and  deranged.  The  next  year  he 
came  back  to  Kentucky,  but  the  light  of  the  temple  was 
gone,  and  the  eye  which  shot  the  fires  of  genius  and  intel- 
ligence now  wildly  stared  upon  the  faces  of  old,  loving, 
long-tried  friends  as  though  they  were  strangers.  Here  he 
remained  till  death  released  him  and  sent  his  spirit  home. 
Poor  Poythress!  bravely  didst  thou  toil  and  endure  hard- 
ships on  the  well-fought  field.  A  campaign  of  twenty-five 
years  of  incessant  toil  in  the  gloomy  wilds  of  the  West,  away 
from  friends  and  loved  ones  at  home,  proved  too  much  for 
thy  nature  to  bear.  But  thou  art  gone  where  the  wicked 
cease  to  trouble  and  the  weary  are  at  rest." 

His  intimate  personal  friend  Judge  Scott,  of  Ohio,  him- 
self a  pioneer  Methodist  preacher,  says  of  him : 

"Poythress  was  grave  in  his  deportment  and  chaste  in 
his  conversation,  constant  in  his  private  devotions  and  faith- 
ful in  the  discharge  of  his  ministerial  duties.  We  have  no 
recollection  of  his  having  ever  disappointed  a  congregation, 
unless  prevented  by  sickness  or  disease.  As  often  as  practi- 
cable he  visited  from  house  to  house,  instructed  and  prayed 


90  Tlie  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

in  the  family.  He  waa  unwearied  in  his  efforts  to  unite  the 
traveling  and  local  ministry  as  a  band  of  brothers,  so  that 
their  united  efforts  might  be  exerted  in  furthering  the  cause 
of  God.  As  the  weight  of  all  the  churches  in  his  district 
rested  upon  him,  he  sensibly  felt  the  responsibility  of  his 
station,  and  put  forth  his  utmost  efforts  to  discharge  with 
fidelity  the  important  trusts  which  had  been  confided  to 
him.  The  education  of  the  rising  generation  he  deemed  to 
be  intimately  connected  with  the  interests  of  the  Church, 
and  the  result  of  that  conviction  was  the  erection  of  Bethel 
Academy.  He  was  about  five  feet  eight  or  nine  inches  in 
height,  and  heavily  built.  His  muscles  were  large,  and 
when  in  prime  of  life  he  was  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary 
muscular  strength.  He  dressed  plain  and  neat.  When  we 
first  saw  him  we  suppose  he  had  passed  his  sixtieth  year. 
His  muscles  were  quite  flaccid,  eyes  sunken  in  his  head,  hair 
gray,  turned  back,  hanging  down  his  shoulders,  complexion 
dark,  and  countenance  grave,  inclining  to  melancholy.  His 
step  was,  however,  firm,  and  his  general  appearance  such  as 
to  command  respect.  He  possessed  high,  honorable  feelings, 
and  a  deep  sense  of  moral  obligation.  In  general,  he  was 
an  excellent  disciplinarian.  Among  the  eight  pioneers  of 
Methodism  in  Kentucky  and  Tennessee  in  the  year  1788, 
the  name  of  Francis  Poythress  stands  preeminent.  By  these 
intrepid  heroes  of  the  cross  the  foundation  of  Methodism  was 
laid  in  those  States,  on  which  others  have  since  built,  and 
others  are  building.  Their  names  ought  to  be  held  in  grate- 
ful remembrance  by  all  who  love  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in 
sincerity  and  truth ;  but  among  all  we  are  inclined  to  the 
opinion  there  is  not  one  of  them  to  whom  the  members  of 
our  Church  in  those  States  owe  a  greater  debt  of  gratitude 
than  to  Francis  Poythress." 

At  the  Western  Conference  of  1802,  it  was  intimated  that 
he  was  in  "a  critical  state  of  unaccountabilitv,"  and  ordered 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  91 

that  his  name  be  "left  off  the  general  minutes,"  while  it 
was  agreed  that  it  should  be  retained  on  their  journal.  And 
so  his  name  disappeared  from  the  minutes  without  a  word 
of  explanation.  In  1810,  Asbury,  traveling  through  Ken- 
tucky, made  an  entry  in  his  journal  that  seemed  also  to 
reflect  upon  his  character,  and  these  two  facts  made  the 
impression  upon  the  public  that  he  had  apostatized.  Fort- 
unately for  the  justice  of  history,  the  matter  was  cleared  up 
by  the  bishop's  traveling  companion,  the  Rev.  Henry  Boehm. 
He  says : 

"  On  Monday  we  visited  an  old  minister,  one  of  the  pio- 
neers of  the  West,  and  the  bishop  makes  this  melancholy 
record — I  never  read  it  without  pain:  'This  has  been  an 
awful  day  to  me.  I  visited  Francis  Poythress,  if  thou  be 
he;  but  O  how  fallen!'  Perhaps  no  record  in  his  journals 
has  been  so  little  understood  as  this,  and  none  is  more  liable 
to  be  misinterpreted.  Some  have  supposed  that  he  had  fallen 
like  wretched  apostates  who  have  made  shipwreck  of  the 
faith ; '  but  it  was  not  so,  and  the  bishop  would  not  knowing- 
ly or  willingly  have  done  the  unfortunate  brother  an  in- 
justice. My  journal  reads  thus:  '  Monday  15,  we  went  with 
Brother  Harris  to  see  Francis  Poythress,  one  of  our  old 
preachers.  He  has  been  for  ten  years  in  a  state  of  insanity, 
and  is  still  in  a  distressed  state  of  mind.'  This  is  the  record 
I  made  over  fifty  years  ago,  and  it  was  italicized  as  the  read- 
er now  sees  it.  Francis  Poythress  was  one  of  the  leaders  of 
our  Israel.  He  was  received  into  the  traveling  connection 
at  the  third  Conference,  held  in  1776,  with  Freeborn  Gar- 
rettson,  Joseph  Hartley,  Nicholas  AVatters,  and  others.  He 
was  a  pioneer  of  the  West.  In  1790,  John  Tunnell  dying, 
Francis  Poythress  was  appointed  elder  at  the  West,  having 
five  large  circuits  on  his  district,  and  on  them  were  Wilson 
Lee,  James  Haw,  and  Barnabas  McHenry.  We  have  not 
space  to  trace  his  history.     His  excessive  labors  shattered 


92  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

his  system,  and  his  body  and  intellect  were  both  injured. 
About  the  year  1800  he  became  derauged,  and  a  gloom  set- 
tled down  upon  him  not  to  be  removed.  When  Asbury  saw 
him,  he  was  shocked,  contrasting  his  former  look  with  his 
appearance  then.  He  was  then  living  with  his  sister,  twelve 
miles  below  Lexington.  Bishop  Asbury  never  saw  him  any 
more;  death  soon  came  to  the  relief  of  poor  Francis  Poy- 
thress,  and  none  who  knew  him  doubt  that  he  is  among  the 
clear,  unclouded  intellects  of  the  upper  and  better  world." 

He  maintained,  through  all  the  privations  of  the  frontier 
ministry,  "  the  bearing  of  one  who  had  been  well  raised,  his 
deportment  being  very  gentlemanly."  He  was  particularly 
gifted  in  prayer,  and  it  is  said  that  when  he  led  in  inter- 
cession "it  seemed  that  heaven  and  earth  were  coming  to- 
gether." The  last  years  of  his  life  were  spent  at  the  house 
of  his  sister,  Mrs.  Susannah  Pryor,  in  Jessamine  county, 
Kentucky.  Here,  after  long  years  of  mental  derangement 
and  bodily  suffering,  a  relieving  light  broke  upon  his  last 
hours,  and  in  1818  he  entered  into  rest,  Eternity  may  re- 
veal a  touch  of  romance — a  story  of  human  love — in  the 
simple  narrative  of  the  reproof  he  received  from  a  lady,  and 
which  drove  him  to  Christ  and  the  ministry ;  but  if  so,  the 
stone  of  oblivion  now  hides  it  in  the  grave  of  the  past. 


JOHN  EASTER. 

IN  the  course  of  these  Sketches  we  have  had  occasion  to 
remark  upon  the  peculiar  type  of  oratory  which  the 
Wesleyan  movement  developed  in  America.  The  "  bur- 
den" which  the  pioneers  felt  to  rest  upon  them,  the  "woe" 
pronounced  against  their  unfaithfulness,  and  above  all  the 
great  love  for  souls  that  their  religion  kindled  in  their 
hearts,  and  the  peril — the  fearful  peril — in  which  they  saw 
the  world  to  lie,  developed  an  earnest,  thrilling,  overwhelm- 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  93 

ing  power  in  their  pulpit  efforts  that  swept  every  thing  be- 
fore it  as  by  storm.  These  men  had  tasted  the  "  wormwood 
and  gall,"  they  had  "passed  from  darkness  unto  light,"  they 
were  acquainted  with  the  devices  of  the  wicked  one,  and 
"  knowing  the  terror  of  the  Lord,"  they  "  persuaded  men." 
They  preached  for  immediate  results.  They  saw,  with  the 
eye  of  faith,  the  approaching  judgment  and  the  sinner's  only 
refuge;  and  they  made  their  hearers  see  as  they  saw,  and 
moved  them  to  act  as  they  had  acted.  They  combined  the 
plaintive  strains  of  prophetic  lamentation  over  the  "dry 
bones"  of  the  world's  ruin  with  the  apostolic  shout  of  adop- 
tion and  assurance,  and  moved  upon  the  hearts  of  the  people 
as  no  other  men  have  done  since  the  first  era  of  Christianity. 
The  great  historian  of  Methodism  has  well  said:  "The  usual 
process  of  a  long  preparatory  training  for  the  ministry  could 
not  consist  with  the  rapidly  increasing  wTants  of  the  country. 
Methodism  called  into  existence  a  ministry  less  trained,  but 
not  less  efficient ;  possessing  in  a  surprising  degree  that  ster- 
ling good  sense  and  manly  energy,  examples  of  which  great 
exigences  always  produce  among  the  common  people.  These 
it  imbued  with  its  own  energetic  spirit,  and  formed  them  to 
a  standard  of  character  altogether  unique  in  the  annals  of 
the  model  Christian  ministry.  They  composed  a  class  which 
will  perhaps  never  be  seen  again.  They  were  distinguished 
by  native  mental  vigor,  shrewdness,  extraordinary  knowl- 
edge of  human  nature ;  many  of  them  by  overwhelming  nat- 
ural eloquence,  the  effects  of  which  on  popular  assemblies 
are  scarcely  paralleled  in  the  history  of  ancient  or  modern 
oratory ;  and  not  a  few  by  powers  of  satire  and  wit,  which 
made  the  gainsayer  cower  before  them.  To  these  intellect- 
ual attributes  they  added  great  excellences  of  the  heart — a 
zeal  which  only  burned  more  fervently  where  that  of  ordi- 
nary men  would  have  grown  faint,  a  courage  that  exulted 
in  perils,  a  generosity  which  knew  no  bounds  and  left  most 


94  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

of  them  in  want  iu  their  latter  days,  a  forbearance  and  co- 
operation with  each  other  which  are  seldom  found  in  large 
bodies,  an  entire  devotion  to  one  work,  and  withal  a  sim- 
plicity of  character  which  extended  even  to  their  manners 
and  their  apparel.  They  were  mostly  robust.  The  feats 
of  labor  and  endurance  which  they  performed  in  incessant- 
ly preaching  in  villages  and  cities,  among  slave  huts  and 
Indian  wigwams;  in  journeyings,  seldom  interrupted  by 
stress  of  weather;  in  fording  creeks,  swimming  rivers,  sleep- 
ing in  forests;  these,  with  the  novel  circumstances  with 
which  such  a  career  frequently  brought  them  in  contact, 
offered  examples  of  life  and  character  which  in  the  hands 
of  genius  might  be  the  materials  of  a  new  department  of 
romantic  literature.  They  were  men  who  labored  as  if  the 
judgment  fires  were  about  to  break  out  in  the  world,  and 
time  to  end  with  their  day.  They  were  precisely  the  men 
whom  the  moral  wants  of  the  New  World  at  the  time  de- 
manded. The  usual  plan  of  local  labor,  limited  to  a  single 
congregation  or  to  a  parish,  was  inadequate  to  the  wants  of 
Great  Britain  at  this  time,  but  much  more  so  to  those  of  the 
New  World.  The  extraordinary  scheme  of  an  itinerant  min- 
istry met  in  the  only  manner  possible  the  circumstances  of 
the  latter ;  and  the  men  described  were  the  only  characters 
who  could  have  sustained  that  scheme  amid  the  hardships 
of  American  life." 

Among  these  men  are  to  be  found  names  that  deserve  a 
place  on  the  roll  of  the  world's  greatest  orators,  and  when 
justice  is  done,  Virginia's  patriot-statesman  Patrick  Henry 
will  have  no  higher  place  accorded  him  in  history  than 
will  her  patriot -preacher  John  Easter.  The  former  elec- 
trified the  nation,  and  stirred  the  heart  of  the  colonies  by 
his  wild  cry,  "  Give  me  liberty,  or  give  me  death ! "  The  lat- 
ter pictured  the  "sinfulness  of  sin,"  and  its  punishment,  with 
such  overwhelming  power  of  eloquence  that  the  trembling 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  95 

thousands  who  attended  were  constrained  to  fly  to  "  the  cleft 
in  the  rock  "  to  escape  the  fury  of  the  storm  of  Divine  venge- 
ance. He  was  preeminently  the  great  pulpit  orator  of  early 
Methodism. 

The  late  Rev.  Dr.  L.  M.  Lee,  in  his  "  Life  and  Times  of 
Jesse  Lee,"  says :  "  The  facts  which  have  come  down  to  our 
times  of  the  almost  miraculous  labors  of  the  Rev.  John 
Easter,  his  strong  faith,  and  his  astonishing  success,  are  far 
more  surprising  than  any  of  those  recorded  in  the  days  of 
the  Son  of  man.  But  we  may  not  detail  them.  Yet  re- 
specting the  character  of  the  work,  it  ought  to  be  said  that 
convictions  for  sin  were  sudden  and  strong.  The  whole 
moral  nature  was  wrought  upon  by  deep  and  powerful  emo- 
tions that  found  expression  in  confession  of  sin  and  cries 
for  mercy.  And  conversions  were  no  less  sudden  and  pow- 
erful. Supplications  for  pardon  were  quickly  succeeded  by 
songs  of  rejoicing  and  shouts  of  triumph. 

"  Many  who  came  to  the  house  of  God  careless  and  scoff- 
ing returned  clothed  in  their  right  minds,  with  new  joy  in 
their  hearts,  and  a  new  pathway  for  their  feet.  The  change 
was  wrought  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  its  gen- 
uineness received  a  thousand  attestations  in  the  altered  lives, 
persevering  fidelity,  and  increasing  holiness  of  those  who, 
in  that  generous  effusion  of  the  Spirit,  were  brought  from 
darkness  into  light,  and  from  the  power  of  Satan  unto 
God."  John  Easter  entered  the  itinerancy  near  the  close 
of  the  Revolution,  and  was  a  co-laborer  with  Phillip  Bruce 
and  Jesse  Lee,  who  began  their  ministerial  labors  about  the 
same  time.  He  is  supposed  to  have  been  born  in  Mecklen- 
burg county,  Virginia,  but  the  exact  date  is  not  now  cer- 
tainly known.  His  parents  were  among  the  first-fruits  of 
Methodism  on  Brunswick  Circuit,  and  after  them  one  of  the 
oldest  churches  in  that  section — Easter's  Meeting-house — 
was  named.     Of  John  Easter's  father,  Matthew  Easter,  the 


96  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

late  Rev.  James  Patterson  *says:  "When  I  preached  at 
Easter's  in  1799  the  good  old  man  got  his  soul  so  full  of 
the  love  of  God  that  it  overflowed,  and  he  praised  God  and 
shouted  until  his  frail  body  could  scarcely  contain  his  en- 
raptured spirit,  His  lamp  was  not  only  burning,  but  was 
in  a  full  blaze;  his  wings  plumed,  and  nothing  prevented 
him  from  soaring  to  the  realms  above  but  the  casket  of  dust 
which  contained  the  immortal  spirit." 

The  old  gentleman  has  two  sons  in  the  ministry,  John 
and  Thomas.  Of  the  former  of  these  the  writer  just  quoted 
says:  "John  Easter,  traveling  Brunswick  Circuit,  held  a 
meeting  at  Mabrey's  Chapel,  near  a  village  called  Hicks- 
ford,  at  which  there  was  a  great  concourse  of  people,  and 
while  he  was  preaching  several  hundred  persons  fell  flat 
upon  the  ground,  struck  down  by  the  mighty  power  of 
God,  and  many  of  them  were  powerfully  converted.  The 
effects  of  that  revival  were  exceedingly  great,  so  much  so 
that  the  wretched  sellers  of  alcohol  lost  nearly  all  their 
customers  at  the  village.  John  Easter  was  an  extraordi- 
nary man  with  regard  to  his  faith  and  power  in  preaching 
the  gospel  of  salvation.  Like  Jacob,  he  had  power  with 
God  and  with  men.  When  he  preached  or  exhorted,  great 
power  fell  upon  the  people,  and  many  sinners  were  slain  by 
the  sword  of  the  Spirit."  * 

The  fields  of  his  itinerant  labor  were  as  follows:  1782, 
Hanover;  1783,  Roanoke;  1784,  Richmond  (this  is  the 
first  mention  of  Richmond,  Va.,  on  the  minutes);  1785, 
Sussex;  1786,  Mecklenburg;  1787,  Brunswick;  1788,  Sus- 
sex; 1789,  Amelia;  1790,  Brunswick;  1791,  Surry. 

Passing  through  Roanoke  Circuit  in  1783,  on  his  way 
from  Western  North  Carolina  to  Amelia,  Va.,  Rev.  Jesse 
Lee  makes  the  following  mention : 

*Xorth  Carolina  Christian  Advocate,  June,  1857. 


In  Xortli  Carolina  and  Virginia.  97 

"  Sunday,  20th  of  July,  I  preached  at  Whitaker's  (Roan- 
oke Circuit),  and  the  congregation  wept  under  the  word 
preached.  When  we  met  the  class,  the  power  and  presence 
of  the  Lord  were  among  us,  and  many  cried  aloud.  I  was 
so  deeply  affected  that  I  could  not  speak  till  I  stopped  and 
wept  for  some  time.  I  preached  again  at  night,  and  the 
people  wept  greatly. 

"Monday,  21st,  we  had  a  very  lively  meeting  at  Brother 
Young's  in  the  day  and  again  at  night,  where  there  were 
about  forty  members  in  society,  and  none  of  them  professed 
to  be  converted  except  the  leader  of  the  class,  but  many  of 
the  mourners  were  deeply  distressed  on  account  of  their 
sins. 

"Tuesday,  22d,  we  had  a  meeting  at  Low's,  and  the  next 
day  at  John  Clayton's,  then  went  up  into  Warren  county, 
where  I  met  with  John  Easter,  and  held  meeting  at  Wm. 
Jean's.  The  next  day  we  came  to  Benjamin  Doale's,  in 
Halifax  county,  where  John  Easter  preached  a  profitable 
sermon. 

"Sunday,  27th,  we  held  meeting  at  Jones's  Chapel;  the 
next  day  at  Brother  Lock's;  the  day  following  at  Richard 
Whitaker's,  and  the  two  following  days  at  Tar  River  Church. 
We  had  a  good  deal  of  life  among  us  at  these  meetings. 

"Saturday,  16th,  and  Sunday,  17th  of  August,  I  attended 
a  quarterly -meeting  at  the  Tabernacle,  Roanoke  Circuit. 
The  first  day  we  had  two  sermons,  and  the  next  day  we  had 
a  lively  love-feast.  Then  I  preached,  J.  O'Kelly  preached, 
and  J.  Easter  exhorted.  It  was  indeed  a  day  of  the  Lord's 
power,  and  many  souls  were  comforted." 

It  was  under  Easter's  preaching  in  Virginia  that  William 
McKendree  and  Enoch  George — afterward  bishops,  honored, 
useful,  and  beloved  in  our  Church — were  converted.  We 
will  let  them  tell  the  story  of  their  impressions  in  their  own 
language.     McKendree,  who  was  then  thirty  years  of  age, 


98  .  Tfu  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

and  who  was  living  within  the  bounds  of  the  Brunswick 
Circuit,  and  who  had  frequently  experienced  the  wooings  of 
the  Spirit  on  hearing  Easter,  says:  "My  convictions  were 
renewed.  They  were  deep  and  pungent.  The  great  deep 
of  my  heart  was  broken  up.  Its  deceitful  and  desperately 
wicked  nature  was  disclosed,  and  the  awful,  the  eternally 
ruinous  consequences  clearly  appeared.  My  repentance 
was  sincere.  I  became  willing  and  was  desirous  to  be 
saved  on  any  terms.  After  a  sore  and  sorrowful  travail 
of  three  days,  which  were  employed  in  hearing  Mr.  Easter, 
and  in  fasting  and  prayer,  while  the  man  of  God  was  show- 
ing a  large  congregation  the  way  of  salvation  by  faith,  with 
a  clearness  which  at  once  astonished  and  encouraged  me,  I 
ventured  my  all  upon  Christ.  In  a  moment  my  soul  was 
relieved  of  a  burden  too  heavy  to  be  borne,  and  joy  instant- 
ly succeeded  sorrow.  For  a  short  space  of  time  I  was  fixed 
in  silent  adoration,  giving  glory  to  God  for  his  unspeakable 
goodness  to  such  an  unworthy  creature." 

Enoch  George,  who  was  also  living  on  the  Brunswick 
Circuit,  bears  this  testimony:  "We  had  no  religious  serv- 
ices either  in  my  father's  family  or  any  that  I  visited.  Our 
time  was  whiled  away  in  fiddling  and  dancing.  But  inde- 
pendently of  any  convictions  received  in  the  Church  or  else- 
where, I  remember  the  visits  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  enlight- 
ening, melting,  and  alarming  me.  I  continued  in  this 
situation  for  many  months,  and  only  wanted  suitable  direc- 
tion and  encouragement.  With  these  I  should  soon  have 
found  the  pearl  of  great  price.  None  of  my  acquaintances 
appeared  to  have  any  serious  impressions,  or  if  they  had 
they  were  concealed,  as  my  own  were.  At  this  time  we 
heard  that  a  certain  Methodist  preacher  was  traveling 
through  a  part  of  our  parish  and  county,  under  whose  la- 
bors hundreds  were  'falling  down,'  and  crying,  'Sir,  what 
must  we  do  to  be  saved?'     They  'repented,  believed  on  the 


In  North  Carol iiia  and  Virginia.  99 

Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  were  converted.'  By  these  reports"! 
my  'foolish  heart'  was  hardened  and  'darkened.'  It  was 
my  delight  to  invent  satirical  epithets  for  these  men,  by 
which  I  and  my  companions  were  amused.  In  this  way  I 
continued  to  resist  God,  having  formed  my  opinion  on  com- 
mon report,  until  my  father  and  step-mother  were  among 
the  hearers  of  that  venerable,  holy,  and  useful  minister, 
known  to  thousands  in  the  south  of  Virginia — John  Easter. 
"When  Mr.  Easter  spoke,  his  word  was  clothed  with 
power,  and  the  astonished  •multitude  trembled,  and  many 
fell  down  and  cried  aloud.  Some  fell  near  me,  and  one 
almost  on  me ;  and  when  I  attempted  to  fly  I  found  myself 
unable.  When  my  consternation  subsided,  I  collected  all 
my  strength  and  resolution,  and  left  my  friends  and  the 
family,  determining  never  to  be  seen  at  a  Methodist  meet- 
ing again.  In  this  I  was  defeated.  My  father  and  his  fam- 
ily, with  many  of  my  friends,  remained  in  the  assembly,  while 
I  '  fled  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord ; '  and  they  determined 
to  seek  and  taste  of  the  heavenly  gift,  and  be  made  partak- 
ers of  the  'Holy  Ghost.'  On  the  next  day  there  was  to  be 
another  meeting  in  our  vicinity,  and  as  the  people  passed 
our  house  one  and  another  said  to  me, '  Come,  and  let  us  go 
up  to  the  house  of  the  Lord,'  and  hear  this  awful  messenger 
of  truth.  I  replied  to  their  entreaties  and  inquiries  by  sur- 
ly negatives;  but  my  father  interposed  his  authority,  and 
commanded  my  attendance.  I  went,  intending  to  steel  my 
heart  against  conviction.  However,  it  pleased  God  on  this 
day  '  to  open  my  eyes,  and  turn  me  from  darkness  to  light,' 
by  the  ministry  of  the  word ;  and  I  was  willing  to  become 
a  Christian  'in  the  way  of  the  Lord.'  Day  and  night  I 
cried  for  mercy.  In  this  disconsolate  state  I  wandered  from 
meeting  to  meeting,  and  from  valley  to  valley,  '  seeking  rest, 
finding  none,'  and  almost  ready  to  yield  to  despair,  yet  re- 
solved to  never  renounce  my  hope  of  mercy  while  it  was 


100  The  Pioneers  of  Method  Um 

"written,  'The  Lord  will  provide,'  arid  'His  mercy  endureth 
forever.'  On  one  Sabbath  while  thus  'tossed  with  tempests, 
and  not  comforted,'  after  meeting  I  retired  to  the  woods, 
and  there  received  forgiveness  of  sins  'by  faith  that  is  in 
Jesus  Christ'  and  the  witness  of  his  Spirit  "with  mine.  Then 
I  tasted  that  the  Lord  is  gracious ;  felt  grace  in  my  heart — 
God  in  man,  heaven  upon  earth.  I  was  in  heavenly  places 
in  Christ  Jesus,  and  all  around  me — each  flower,  each  leaf 
— spoke  the  praises  of  the  Father  who  'made  them  all.' 
From  that  day  until  now  I  have  never  doubted  my  con- 
version to  Christ  and  adoption  into  his  family." 

The  foregoing  extracts  will  give  the  reader  some  idea  of 
Easter  as  a  preacher.  He  continued  in  the  itinerant  ranks 
until  1792,  when  his  name  appears  on  the  minutes,  in  an- 
swer to  the  question  "Who  are  under  a  location  through 
weakness  of  body  or  family  concerns?" 

The  zealous,  eloquent,  successful  preacher  was  reduced  to 
the  necessity  of  locating  in  order  to  provide  bread  for  his 
family.  We  refrain  from  comment.  Though  he  retired 
from  the  regular  ranks,  Easter  did  not  cease  to  labor  when- 
ever he  could,  and  at  last  fell  a  martyr  to  his  zeal.  The 
following  interesting  letter  from  him  to  Rev.  Stith  Mead, 
written  in  1799,  is  reproduced  by  Dr.  Bennett  in  his  "Me- 
morials : " 

"Very  Dear  Brother:  I  received  your  favor,  and 
wish  to  be  thankful  that  either  God  or  man  remembers 
me  in  love  and  mercy;  for  I  am  so  useless  that  I  am  ready 
to  wonder  how  it  is  that  I  am — a  half  martyr.  First  for  souls, 
and  second  for  bread;  at  best  a  poor,  unworthy,  unprofit- 
able servant.  But  I  can  yet  rejoice  that  the  Lord  blesses 
your  labors  to  the  good  of  souls.  May  he  bless  you  more 
and  more  in  your  return  to  Brunswick ;  though  we  have 
been  blessed  in  the  labors  and  piety  of  our  good  brother 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  101 

William  Early.  I  greatly  desire  to  be  with  you  all  at  Con- 
ference, but  the  many  afflictions  of  my  family,  and  other 
occurrences,  render  it  almost  impracticable.  But  you  will 
have  my  poor  prayers  for  the  great  God  to  be  present  and 
powerful  among  you.  My  love  to  all  that  are  willing  to 
die  for  Christ  and  the  truth, 

"  Yours  in  the  best  of  bonds,         John  Easter." 

While  attending  a  protracted-meeting,  he  so  overexerted 
himself  as  to  bring  on  a  disease  of  the  lungs  which  closed 
his  earthly  career  about  the  year  1801.  He  sleeps  in  a 
neglected,  almost  unknown  grave  in  Virginia,  and  the 
Church  for  whom  he  laid  down  his  life,  and  to  whose  in- 
terests he  devoted  the  best  years  of  his  manhood,  has  well- 
nigh  forgotten  him.  Dr.  Bennett  tells  us  that  "he  left  a 
son  who  became  a  very  useful  local  preacher,  but  finally 
left  the  Church  of  his  father,  and  took  orders  in  the  Prot- 
estant Episcopal  Church.  He  was  the  pastor  of  a  congre- 
gation near  Baltimore  for  some  time,  and  died  in  that  city 
not  many  years  ago.  He  left  an  only  son,  who  was  sud- 
denly killed,  and  thus  the  line  of  that  branch  of  the  family 
became  extinct."  

ISHAM  TATUM. 

AS  we  look  upon  a  wide,  beautiful  river,  on  whose  broad, 
deep  bosom  the  gallant  boats  that  carry  on  the  world's 
commerce  are  borne,  the  quiet  fountain  far  up  at  the  source 
is  invested  with  a  new  interest  to  our  minds.  If  the  stream 
from  the  fountain  does  not  draw  to  it  tributaries,  if  before 
it  falls  into  the  sea  it  does  not  become  a  great  agent  in  the 
world's  service,  it  is  to  be  noticed  only  by  a  few,  and  by 
them  perhaps  for  only  a  short  while,  as  a  quiet  thing  of 
beauty  in  the  world's  great  panorama.  The  value  to  the 
world  of  men's  lives  is  to  be  estimated  bv  the  results  which 


102  The  P     ■  ■   -    '  Mi '    niimn 

accrue  from  their  examples,  and  from  the  moral  forces  which 
thev  set  in  motion.  Methodism  has  in  our  day  assumed  pro- 
portions little  dreamed  of  by  the  must  sanguine  of  its  found- 
ers. It  ].;  .  under  the  overruling  providence  of  God, 
one  of  the  mighty  moral  and  religious  forces  at  work  for  the 
world's  spiritual  elevation.  It  has  been  instrumental  in  the 
salvation  of  thousands  and  hundreds  of*  thousands  in  the  post : 
it  has  added  a  new  impetus  to  all  the  other  moral  and  relig- 
ious agencies  with  which  it  was  identified :  it  has  infused  new 
fervor,  zeal,  and  activity  into  the  world's  spirit  of  benevo- 
lence, and  the  work  that  is  to  be  done  by  it  in  the  future, 
the  millions  who  are  yet  to  be  led  to  Christ  by  it,  can  be 
estimated  only  by  the  foreknowledge  of  God.  Those  who 
originated  the  movement,  and  propagated  it  in  the  begin- 
ning, those  whose  suffering  and  sacrifice  opened  the  way  for 
it  until  it  had  accumulated  sufficient  force  to  make  its  own 
wav  and  break  over  oppositions  and  obstructions,  are  invest- 
ed with  a  peculiar  interest  to  us ;  and  while  the  movement 
has  become  broader  and  deeper  in  its  sweep,  it  still  retains 
the  spirit  of  the  founders  who  gave  it  life. 

The  name  of  Ishani  Tatum  takes  us  back  to  the  early 
dawn  of  Methodism  in  the  South,  back  to  the  toils  and  tri- 
umphs of  the  pioneer  heroes  and  martyrs,  back  to  days  of 
suffering  and  endurance,  conflict  and  victory.  It  recalls 
the  mighty  struggle  of  a  handful  of  consecrated,  devoted 
men  with  the  combined  forces  of  evil,  and  brings  up  in  long 
review  acts  of  devotion,  instances  of  self-sacrifice,  and  deeds 
of  daring  that  gild  with  a  romantic  touch  the  history  of  the 
past.  Those  days  of  spiritual  deadness  and  darkness  saw 
reproduced  prophets  denouncing  sin  with  the  vehemence  of 
Isaiah  and  Ezekiel,  and  embassadors  of  Christ  reproving 
and  exhorting  under  a  sense  of  the  most  fearful  accountabil- 
ity and  responsibility.  They  were  KBH  of  God.  men  upon 
whom  rested  the  burden  of  lamentation;  men  who  had  re- 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  103 

eeived  the  great  commission  to  "cry  aloud,  and  spare  not;" 
men  who  were  dead  to  the  world,  and  alike  indifferent  to  its 
dangers  and  its  allurements;  men  who  sought  nothing:  but 
the  Divine  approval,  and  feared  nothing  but  the  Divine 
condemnation — those  men  who  met,  as  a  wall  of  stone,  the 
waves  of  the  world's  fury,  engaged  in  single-handed  conflict 
with  Apollyon,  and  came  off  victorious  from  every  field. 
Fortunate  indeed  is  the  stream  if  in  its  flow  it  loses  not  the 
purity  of  the  fountain ;  fortunate  indeed  is  Methodism  if  it 
has  lost  not  a  measure  of  the  spirit  that  gave  it  birth. 

Isham  Tatum  was  one  of  those  men  who,  burdened  with 
the  great  commission,  set  apart  and  anointed  for  the  holy 
office,  and  baptized  with  the  Divine  unction,  "spake  as  those 
having  authority'' — an  authority  before  which  the  sinner 
trembled  and  the  strongholds  of  Satan  fell.  Herein  is 
found  one  of  the  great  secrets  of  their  marvelous  success. 
They  felt  themselves  to  be  the  servants  and  under  the  im- 
mediate direction  of  the  Most  High,  and  as  such  the  masses 
respected  them,  and  listened  in  reverential  awe  to  their  mes- 
sage. Tatum  combined  with  burning  zeal  and  untiring  la- 
bor rare  natural  gifts  as  an  orator.  He  was  popularly 
known  as  "the  Silver  Trumpet,"  and  over  the  old  fields  on 
which  he  met,  in  terrible  conflict,  the  powers  of  darkness 
linger  yet  traditions  of  his  wonderful  pulpit  power  and  suc- 
cess. He  was  a  native  of  Carolina,  though  the  exact  place 
and  date  of  his  birth  are,  we  believe,  now  unknown.  Of 
his  early  life  and  education  we  are  likewise  ignorant.  The 
first  mention  made  of  him  on  the  printed  minutes  is  in  the 
year  1776,  when  he  entered  the  traveling  connection.  He 
was  one  of  the  three  preachers  sent  that  year  to  the  first  cir- 
cuit formed  in  North  Carolina.  The  religious  aspect  of  Vir- 
ginia at  that  time  was  distressing,  but  that  of  Xorth  Caro- 
lina was,  if  possible,  more  so.  Indeed,  if  we  accept  as  true 
the  testimonv  of  Col.  Bvrd,  we  would  be  forced  to  the  con- 


104  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

elusion  that  this  State  Mas  populated  with  people  little  bet- 
ter than  heathen;  but  fortunately  for  our  State  pride,  the 
Colonel  is  known  to  have  been  a  very  unreliable  witness — 
so  unreliable  that  his  testimony  will  not  be  reproduced  in 
this  sketch.  There  is,  however,  sufficient  evidence  of  an 
unimpeachable  character  to  convince  us  that  the  extent  of 
ignorance  and  immorality  in  this  State  at  that  time  was  ap- 
palling. Of  the  reputation  she  enjoyed  abroad  we  have  no 
vague  hint  in  a  passage  in  Asbury's  journal.  Traveling 
through  Franklin  county  in  1780 — four  years  after  Tatum 
had  traveled  here  his  first  circuit — and  stopping  with  Dr. 
John  King,  the  pioneer  preacher,  he  writes:  "I  had  too 
mean  an  opinion  of  the  people  of  Carolina.  It  is  a  much 
better  country,  and  the  people  live  much  better,  than  I  ex- 
pected from  the  information  given  me."  The  force  of  this 
is  increased  by  the  fact  that  Asbury  very  probably  received 
his  "information"  from  the  preachers  who  had  traveled  cir- 
cuits in  this  State,  and  this  passage  was  written  wThile  stopping 
in  what  is  now  known  to  have  been  one  of  the  most  highly  fa- 
vored sections  of  it  at  that  time.  Dr.  Coke,  in  1735,  gives 
a  mournful  account  of  the  religious  destitution  of  North- 
eastern North  Carolina;  and  numerous  passages  in  As- 
bury's journal  go  to  prove  that,  while  the  matter  may 
have  been,  and  doubtless  was,  exaggerated  by  some,  the 
state  of  religion  was,  to  say  the  least,  deplorable. 

Scattered  over  this  State,  Methodism  had  in  1776  six  hun- 
dred and  eighty-three  members,  the  fruits  of  the  labors  of 
Pilmoor,  Williams,  and  others.  Under  the  faithful  labors 
of  Tatum,  Poythress,  and  Dromgoole,  the  number  was  in- 
creased during  this  year  to  nine  hundred  and  thirty. 
Within  another  year,  the  work  was  so  extended  as  to 
necessitate  the  division  of  the  State  into  three  circuits. 

Tatum  continued  in  the  traveling  connection  but  a  few 
vears,  but  they  were  memorable  years  in  our  Church's  his- 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  105 

tory.  They  were  years  that  saw  the  wonderful  development 
of  a  movement  that  sprung  as  by  magic  from  insignificance 
to  importance — years  that  witnessed  some  of  the  mightiest 
conflicts  between  the  powers  of  light  and  darkness,  and  pro- 
duced some  of  the  finest  types  of  heroic  manhood  that  this 
world  has  ever  seen.  In  advancing  the  new  movement,  in 
opening  new  fields  for  its  operation,  and  in  carefully  looking 
after  and  nourishing  all  of  the  interests  of  the  Church,  Ta- 
tum  was  a  leading  spirit.  Not  only  was  he  distinguished 
for  his  pulpit  oratory,  but  by  his  brethren  he  was  regarded 
as  a  sound  theologian  and  a  useful  and  successful  preacher. 
His  fields  of  labor  were  as  follows:  1776,  Carolina;  1777, 
Pittsylvania;  1778,  Fluvanna;  1779,  Amelia;  1780,  Han- 
over. These  were  nearly  all  new  and  hard  fields,  and  here 
by  toil  and  suffering  he  laid  the  foundations  on  which  others 
have  built  and  are  building.  Here  he  opened  the  way  for 
others  to  follow,  and  sowed  the  seeds  that  have  been  since 
his  day  springing  up  unto  harvest. 

In  1781  his  name  appears  in  answer  to  the  question  "  Who 
desist  from  traveling?"  He  had  married,  and  was,  in  con- 
sequence, forced  to  retire  from  the  itinerant  ranks,  where 
he  had  done  such  faithful  and  efficient  service.  He  located 
in  Madison  county,  Virginia,  where  he  lived  for  more  than 
half  a  century  afterward,  buckling  on  the  armor,  and  going 
forth  again  to  the  battle,  with  all  the  ardor  of  youth,  and  when- 
ever occasion  offered.  He  lived  to  enjoy  a  serene  and  beau- 
tiful old  age,  and  to  be  venerated  as  the  oldest  Methodist 
preacher  in  America,  if  not  in  the  world.  The  late  Rev.  Peter 
Doub,  D.D.,  in  the  second  year  of  his  own  ministry,  met 
this  aged  servant  of  God  in  Madison  county,  Va.  He  says 
of  him :  "  He  had  been  a  minister  for  more  than  sixty  years 
when  he  died.  He  was  a  very  good,  sound  divine;  very 
eloquent,  and  so  highly  esteemed  by  the  public  in  this  re- 
gard that  he  was  known  throughout  the  country  as  the  '  Sil- 


106  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

ver  Trumpet.'  He  also  left  a  large  number  of  descendants, 
most  of  whom  are  members  of  the  Church  he  so  faithfully 
labored  to  establish." 

Tatum  lived  to  witness  the  growth  and  development  of 
the  Church  and  the  republic  for  the  first  fifty  years  of  their 
existence.  In  the  evening  of  his  life,  the  pioneer  fields  on 
which  he  had  labored  and  suffered  had  "bloomed  and  blos- 
somed as  the  rose."  Songs  of  praise  arose  from  wilds  where 
only  the  woodman's  ax  had  been  heard.  Churches  had  been 
erected  on  spots  where  he  and  his  co-laborers  had  fought 
some  of  their  hardest  fights,  and  fitly  commemorated  their 
victories  over  the  powers  of  evil.  Without  a  stain  upon  his 
escutcheon,  he  laid  aside  his  armor  to  wear  the  victor's  crown, 
and  universally  beloved  and  respected,  he  entered  into  his 
eternal  rest.  In  his  pure,  devoted,  unselfish  life,  he  left  the 
Church  a  legacy  as  rich  as  the  toilsome  labor  he  underwent 
and  the  suffering  he  endured.  What  a  glorious  meeting  with 
his  old  companions  in  tribulation!  What  a  time  of  rejoic- 
ing over  the  fruits  of  their  suffering  awaited  him  within  the 
gates  of  the  City  of  God ! 

Some  of  his  descendants  are  now  living  in  Orange  county, 
North  Carolina.  

JOHN  DICKENS. 

IT  is  a  well-known  fact  that  few  of  the  early  Methodist 
preachers  were  men  of  liberal  mental  culture,  but  it  is 
not  evident  that  other  denominations  were  as  far  in  advance 
of  them  in  this  respect  as  is  generally  supposed.  The  truth 
is  that  schools  were  few  in  the  new  country,  and  the  stand- 
ard of  scholarship  was  very  low.  The  very  first  enterprise 
that  enlisted  the  energies  of  the  Methodist  Church,  after  its 
organization,  was  the  establishment  of  a  college.  In  the 
early  history  of  our  country  only  those  who  had  been  edu- 
cated in  Europe  could  lay  claim  to  any  thing  like  liberal 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  107 

training;  and  while  Methodism  has,  through  the  various 
stages  of  its  existence,  utilized  the  labors  of  various  types  of 
men,  and  found  fields  for  the  employment  of  various  orders 
and  degrees  of  talent,  it  would  be  unfair  to  say  that  all  the 
preachers  of  the  Methodist  movement  were  ignorant  and  un- 
learned men,  and  that  all  the  preachers  of  other  denomina- 
tions were  highly  cultured.  This  would  imply  a  disparity 
which  did  not  exist  in  fact.  There  are  abundant  evidences 
that  there  was  a  wide  field  for  improvement  in  this  respect 
in  the  hiinistry  of  other  denominations ;  nor  is  it  to  her  most 
highly  cultured  men  that  American  Methodism  is  most  in- 
debted. We  have  not  one  word  to  say  against  an  educated 
ministry — only  that  education  can  never  supply  the  place 
of  earnest  zeal  and  consecrated  labor,  hearty  sympathy  and 
love  for  mankind. 

As  an  evidence  of  the  Ioav  standard  of  scholarship  in 
America  over  a  hundred  years  ago,  the  Rev.  Devereux 
Jarratt,  a  minister  of  the  Church  of  England,  who  became 
rector  of  the  Bath  parish,  in  Virginia,  in  1756,  tells  that 
when  nineteen  vears  of  age  his  fame  as  a  man  of  learning 
had- extended  more  than  one  hundred  miles  from  his  home, 
because  he  was  "  skilled  in  the  Division  of  Crops,  the  Rule 
of  Three,  and  Practice."  The  story  has  come  down  to  us 
of  a  young  Congregational  minister  in  New  England  who 
prided  himself  upon  his  scholastic  attainments,  and  whose 
church  Jesse  Lee,  on  one  occasion,  asked  permission  to  oc- 
cupy. Regarding  a  familiarity  with  the  dead  languages  as 
essential  to  pulpit  qualification,  he  asked  Lee  some  question 
in  Greek.  Without  understanding  a  syllable  of  his  Greek, 
Lee  promptly  returned  the  compliment  by  addressing  him, 
in  reply,  a  few  words  of  the  Dutch  which  he  had  learned  in 
North  Carolina.  The  young  minister  thought  he  was  speak- 
ing Hebrew,  and  thereupon,  accounting  him  a  very  learned 
man,  gave  him  permission  to  preach  in  his  pulpit. 


108  TJie  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

John  Dickens,  one  of  the  earliest  pioneers  of  Methodism 
in  North  Carolina,  the  first  Book  Editor,  and  for  many 
years  Superintendent  of  the  Book  Concern  of  the  M.  E. 
Church,  -was  superior  to  most  of  his  contemporaries  in  point 
of  education.  Asbury  tells  us  that  he  was  a  man  of  "  great 
skill  in  learning,  drinking  in  Latin  and  Greek  swiftly." 
Without  being  brilliant  in  his  conceptions,  he  was  a  close 
reasoner,  a  clear  thinker,  and  an  earnest,  practical,  forcible 
preacher,  knowing  how  to  adapt  his  discourses  to  his  con- 
gregations. He  did  not  possess  the  magnetic  power  which 
enabled  Edward  Dromgoole,  George  Shadford,  John  Easter, 
and  others  of  his  day,  to  sway  their  congregations  at  will, 
but  he  carried  with  him  the  weight  of  "a  man  of  great  pi- 
ety who  prayed  much  and  walked  close  with  God."  A  gen- 
tle, sweet-spirited,  God-fearing  Christian,  tender  in  his  rela- 
tions to  his  brethren,  his  friends,  and  his  family,  he  was 
given  to  gloomy  meditations,  and  was  diffident  to  a  fault. 
Asbury  entertained  a  warm  personal  friendship  and  high 
esteem  for  him,  and  wrote  in  his  journal,  after  hearing  of 
his  death:  "For  piety,. probity,  profitable  preaching,  holy 
living,  Christian  education  of  his  children,  secret  closet- 
prayer,  I  doubt  whether  his  superior  is  to  be  found,  either 
in  Europe  or  in  America."  We  learn  from  the  old  minutes, 
which  record  his  fields  of  labor,  and  the  time  and  manner 
of  his  death,  that  he  was  a  native  of  Great  Britain,  born 
and  educated  in  the  city  of  London.  At  what  time  he  em- 
igrated to  America  is  not  known,  but  it  appears  that  in  1774 
he  made  a  profession  of  religion  and  united  with  the  Meth- 
odist Society  in  Virginia.  In  1777  he  was  received  into  the 
traveling  connection,  and  was  appointed,  with  John  King, 
Leroy  Cole,  and  Edward  Pride,  to  North  Carolina  Circuit. 
This  was  the  second  year  of  the  existence  of  a  circuit  in 
North  Carolina,  for,  while  two  counties  in  this  State  had 
been  embraced  in  the  imperial  old  Brunswick,  the  Carolina 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  109 

Circuit  (called  this  year  the  North  Carolina)  had  been 
formed  only  the  year  previous.  This  is  the  last  mention  of 
North  Carolina  on  the  minutes  as  a  circuit.  The  next  year 
we  have  Roanoke ;  the  next,  Tar  River  and  New  Hope ;  the 
next,  Yadkin ;  then  follow  Bertie,  Guilford,  Caswell,  etc. 

In  1778  Dickens  was  appointed  to  Brunswick,  and  in 
1779  and  1780  to  Roanoke  Circuit,  These  were  dark  days 
for  Methodism.  Suspicion  was  attached  to  her  preachers  as 
being  friendly  to  British  dominion,  and  the  people  were  too 
much  concerned  in  the  progress  of  the  war  to  pay  much  at- 
tention to  the  subject  of  religion.  While  serving  the  Roan- 
oke Circuit,  Dickens  conceived  the  idea  of  establishing  in 
America  a  school  similar  to  Mr.  Wesley's  Kingswood  School 
in  England.  This  enterprise  Asbury  heartily  indorsed, 
and  Gabriel  Long  and  Brother  Bustion  were  the  first  sub- 
scribers. The  project  culminated,  under  the  management 
of  Dr.  Coke,  in  the  ill-fated  Cokesbury  College,  at  Abington. 

At  the  close  of  the  year  1780,  in  the  language  of  the  min- 
utes, he  "desisted  from  traveling."  Dr.  Bangs  and  others 
tell  us  that  the  reason  for  this  step  is  unknown.  By  refer- 
ence to  Asbury's  Journal  (Vol.  I.,  page  291),  we  learn  that 
"  his  voice  was  gone."  It  is  probable  that  this  is  one  reason 
for  his  course.  Another  may  be  found  in  the  fact  that  he 
had  married,  and  such  was  the  support  given  an  itinerant 
preacher  in  those  days  that  upon  marrying  he  was  gener- 
ally forced  to  locate  in  order  to  support  his  family.  So 
general  was  the  custom  of  locating  after  marriage  that  the 
Church  lost  the  services  of  some  of  its  best  and  most  use- 
ful men.  As  early  as  1780  we  find  this  entry  in  Asbury's 
Journal  (Vol.  I.,  page  290) :  "  Edward  Dromgoole  is  a  good 
preacher,  but  entangled  with  a  family.  We  spoke  of  a  plan 
for  building  houses  in  every  circuit  for  preachers'  wives, 
and  the  societies  to  supply  their  families  with  bread  and 
meat,  so  the  preachers  should  travel  from  place  to  place  as 


110  77/>>  Pioneers  of  Method  Urn 

when  single;  for  unless  something  of  the  kind  be  done,  we 
shall  have  no  preachers  but  young  men  in  a  few  years — they 
will  marry  and  stop." 

The  truth  of  his  prophecy  is  seen  in  the  fact  that  in  1809, 
when  the  Virginia  Conference  convened  in  the  town  of  Tar- 
boro,  N.  C,  and  numbered  5,823  white  and  2,363  colored 
members,  sixty  of  the  preachers  were  young  men  and  only 
three  in  the  whole  body  were  married  men.  Asbury  makes 
this  remark  in  regard  to  the  matter  (Journal,  Vol.  III.,  page 
257) :  "  The  high  taste  of  these  Southern  folks  will  not  per- 
mit their  families  to  be  degraded  by  an  alliance  with  a 
Methodist  traveling  preacher."  There  is  much  bitterness 
in  this  remark,  and  yet  who  can  wonder  that  such  was  the 
case?  The  Methodist  itinerancy  was  not  a  very  inviting 
field  to  a  well-bred  young  lady,  to  say  the  least.  Asbury 
himself  was  not  insensible  to  the  meager  support  which  he 
received  and  his  dependence  upon  others.  There  were 
hours  when  he  felt — keenly,  bitterly — the  sacrifice  which 
he  had  made  in  becoming  a  traveling  preacher.  There  are 
passages  in  his  journal  in  which  we  read  the  language  of 
poor,  frail  human  nature — for  he  was  only  human — and 
hear  the  wail  of  his  heart  as  he  thought  of  the  dependence 
to  which  he  had  subjected  himself.  We  may  well  ask  the 
question,  Was  this  state  of  affairs  ever  necessary?  Was  it 
ever  necessary  to  drive  from  the  traveling  connection  mar- 
ried men  who  had  enough  self-respect  to  demand  a  decent 
support?  Was  it  ever  necessary  that  in  the  evening  of  life 
a  grand  old  hero  should  be  able  to  look  back  upon  nothing 
but  toil  and  privation,  and  rejoicings  in  tribulations,  and 
around  upon  nothing  but  ingratitude  and  forgetfulness? 
The  reason  is  not  to  be  found  in  any  inability  on  the  part 
of  the  Church  to  support  her  servants.  They  had  fixed 
themselves  the  limits  of  their  support.  They  had  signed 
and  sealed  with  their  own  hands  the  instrument  which  cm- 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  Ill 

signed  them  to  life-long  poverty.  They  had  preached 
against  comfortable  salaries,  and  had  educated  the  people  to 
believe  that  a  life  of  the  most  abject  poverty  was  best  suited 
to  develop  the  deepest  humility  and  the  highest  degree  of 
pulpit  power.  As  we  look  around  upon  the  comfortable 
parsonages,  and  think  of  the  adequate  support  which  many 
of  our  preachers  enjoy,  the  wonder  is  not.  that  we  hear, 
now  and  then,  the  old  cry  of  "a  hundred  dollars  a  year," 
and  meet  occasionally  the  cold,  hard  spirit  of  parsimony  in 
the  Church,  but  that  the  Church  has  so  far  broken  the  bands 
of  early  education  and  made  such  strides  in  the  face  of  erro- 
neous teaching. 

The  Church  of  Rome  enforces  celibacy  upon  her  priests 
in  order  to  center  all  their  affections  upon  "  Mother  Church." 
In  their  ardent  zeal,  the  early  Methodist  preachers  endeav- 
ored to  sever  every  tie  which  bound  them  to  the  world,  that 
they  might  be  more  closely  united  to  Christ.  Whoever 
loved  father  and  mother,  wife  and  children,  houses  and 
lands,  more  than  Christ,  was  not  worthy  of  Christ;  there- 
fore, they  were  to  despise  houses  and  lands,  renounce  at  once 
the  pleasures  and  embarrassments  of  wedded  life,  and  leave 
father  and  mother  to  God  for  protection.  It  was  a  grand 
sacrifice — this  laying  of  every  thing  which  the  heart  holds 
dear  at  the  foot  of  the  cross — and  beautifully  has  Edward 
Eggleston  compared  it  to  the  "  alabaster  box  of  very  pre- 
cious ointment"  poured  upon  the  head  of  the  Saviour. 
Nothing  is  more  natural  than  that  in  their  youthful,  ardent 
zeal  they  rejoiced  in  making  the  sacrifice,  and  felt  that  it 
was  acceptable  in  the  sight 'of  God.  Having  made  the  sac- 
rifice, they  were  ready  to  plunge  into  the  wilderness,  and 
thenceforth  their  watch-words  were  to  be,  "A  Methodist 
preacher  is  immortal  until  his  work  is  done." 

They  were  to  receive  nothing  more  than  the  meager  sal- 
ary which  they  had   allowed  themselves;  if  presents  were 


112  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

given  them,  they  were  to  be  reported  as  "quarterage;"  if 
marriage-fees  were  tendered  them,  they  were  to  be  paid  over 
to  the  general  fund  at  the  ensuing  Conference.  Few  sur- 
vived the  hardships  of  itinerant  life  for  many  years.  The 
minutes  will  show  that  in  the  great  majority  of  cases  they 
fell  at  their  posts  in  less  than  ten  years,  and  in  many,  very 
many  cases,  in  less  than  three  years  of  service.  Of  those 
who  survived,  the  great  majority,  after  ten  or  twelve  years 
of  traveling,  married  and  located,  and  are  known  no  more 
in  the  history  of  the  Church.  It  may  be  interesting  to  note 
a  few  figures  in  support  of  this  statement.  In  1805  the  Vir- 
ginia Conference  received  fourteen  preachers,  and  located 
four;  in  1806  received  fourteen,  and  located  seven;  in  1807 
received  seventeen,  and  located  six;  in  1808  received  eight- 
een, and  located  five;  in  1809  received  eighteen,  and  located 
eight.  When  we  consider  the  number  who  died,  or  were 
superannuated,  or  expelled,  we  are  not  surprised  to  know 
that,  at  this  rate,  the  Conference  continued  to  be  composed 
almost  entirely  of  young  men. 

But  we  are  digressing  from  the  thread  of  our  narrative. 
We  have  seen  that  John  Dickens  located  at  the  close  of  the 
year  1780.  He  settled  in  Halifax  county,  N.  C,  where,  it 
is  possible,  he  had  married. 

In  April,  1783,  Asbury  passed  through  this  section,  and 
preached  on  the  fifth  "at  Clayton's,  near  Halifax,  where 
they  were  firing  their  cannons  and  rejoicing  in  their  way" 
over  the  news  that  the  peace  with  Great  Britain  had  been 
confirmed.  Under  this  date,  he  makes  the  following  entry 
in  his  journal :  "  This  day  I  prevailed  with  Brother  Dick- 
ens to  go  to  New  York,  where  I  expect  him  to  be  far  more 
useful  than  in  his  present  station."  During  the  Kevolution, 
New  York  and  many  other  important  points  had  been 
dropped  from  the  list  of  appointments.  There  was  still  a 
society  there,  and  Dickens  had  the  task  of  reorganizing  the 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  113 

forces  of  the  Church  after  the  devastation  of  war.  The 
people,  as  a  rule,  were  at  this  time  little  prepared  to  heed 
the  gospel ;  they  were  elated  and  dissipated  by  the  achieve- 
ment of  their  freedom,  and  much  disposed  to  engage  in 
worldly  affairs  to  the  exclusion  of  religion. 

When  Dr.  Coke  landed  in  New  York  on  the  third  of  No- 
vember, 1784,  he  found  John  Dickens  stationed  there,  and 
to  him  he  first  communicated  his  plan  for  organizing  an  in- 
dependent Church.  Dickens  was  delighted  with  the  idea, 
and  it  is  interesting  to  note  the  measure  of  authority  which 
he,  and  in  fact  nearly  all  of  the  preachers,  yielded  to  John 
AVesley.  No  pope's  opinion  was  ever  more  nearly  infalli- 
ble in  the  eyes  of  a  Komish  Church  than  was  John  Wes- 
ley's in  the  estimate  of  many  of  his  preachers.  His  author- 
ity, however,  was  not  based  upon  the  dogma  of  Divine  right, 
but  upon  the  love  of  the  preachers,  who  regarded  him  as 
their  spiritual  father,  and  their  esteem  for  his  talents.  We 
quote  froni  Coke's  journal:  "I  have  opened  Mr.  Y\resley's 
plan  to  Brother  Dickens,  the  traveling  preacher  stationed 
at  this  place,  and  he  heartily  approves  of  it ;  says  that  all 
the  preachers  most  earnestly  long  for  such  a  reformation, 
and  that  Mr.  Asbury,  he  is  sure,  will  consent  to  it.  He 
presses  me  earnestly  to  make  it  public  because — as  he  just- 
ly argues — Mr.  Wesley  has  determined  the  point,  though 
Mr.  Asbury  is  most  respectfully  to  be  consulted  in  respect 
to  every  part  of  the  execution  of  it." 

"Mr.  Wesley  has  determined  the  point!"  Well,  indeed, 
has  it  been  for  American  Methodism  that  Mr.  Asbury  re- 
fused to  concede  such  a  right,  even  to  Mr.  Wesley,  and  that 
the  M.  E.  Church  was  organized  not  merely  by  authority 
of  Mr.  Wesley,  but  by  the  votes  of  the  preachers.  Asbury 
never  showed  more  wisdom,  foresight,  and  prudence  in  the 
whole  of  his  life  than  when  he  declined  to  accept  the  ap- 
pointment tendered  him  by  Mr.  Wesley  until  he  should  be 
8 


114  The  Pioneer*  of  Methodism 

duly  elected  to  the  office  by  Ins  brethren.  Had  lie  acted 
otherwise,  how  different  would  have  been  the  history  of 
Methodism  in  America! 

In  1785  Dickens  was  a] (pointed  to  the  Bertie  Circuit  in 
North  Carolina.  It  seems  that  this  field  embraced  a  part 
of  the  old  Roanoke  Circuit,  and  he  had  many  of  the  ap- 
pointments which  he  had  served  when  pastor  of  that  work 
live  years  before.  It  seems  probable,  too,  that  he  lived  at 
the  same  place  as  when  he  sustained  a  local  relation. 

During  this  year  Asbury  visited  this  section,  preaching  at 
"Whitaker's  Chapel,  near  Fishing  Creek,  Conniconnara 
Chapel,"  and  other  places.  He  gives  a  mournful  account 
of  the  moral  declension  of  the  people.  Worldly  prosperity 
-was  causing  many  to  lose  their  hold  upon  God,  and  in  some 
places  spirituous  liquors  had  removed  others  from  their 
steadfastness.  We  cannot  refrain  from  making,  just  here, 
an  extract  from  his  journal.  Every  preacher's  wife  will 
see  our  reason  for  doing  it.  Under  date  of  March  26th,  he 
writes:  "We  had  a  large  congregation  and  a  solemn  time  at 
Brother  Clayton's.  After  meeting,  returned  to  Brother  Dick- 
ens's. He  and  his  wife  cleave  to  God,  but  there  is  great 
declension  elsewhere."  We  feel  grateful  to  Asbury  for  this 
mention  of  the  preacher's  wife,  and  while  we  gather  what 
information  we  can  in  regard  to  the  heroic  men  who  found- 
ed Methodism  in  our  land,  we  would  gladly  cull  a  flower 
now  and  then  from  the  graves  of  the  devoted  women  who 
shared  their  privations,  and  whose  silent  sufferings  have  been 
registered  only  by  the  recording  angel  and  in  the  book  of 
God. 

We  have  now  reached  a  very  important  era  in  the  history 
of  our  Church.  The  organization  effected,  the  establish- 
ment of  a  Book  Concern  was  determined  upon,  and  the 
oversight  and  management  of  this  important  department  of 
Church-work  was  committed  to  John  Dickens.     It  is  prob- 


Iii  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  115 

able  that  there  was  not  another  in  the  Connection  so  well 
fitted  for  the  task.  Robert  Williams  had  been  the  first  to 
publish  Methodist  books  in  America.  They  seem  to  have 
been  chiefly  reprints  of  Mr.  Wesley's  books.  In  the  latter 
part  of  the  year  1772  Mr.  Asbury  had  received  a  letter 
from  Mr.  Wesley  prohibiting  Williams  from  publishing  any 
more  books  without  his  (Wesley's)  consent.  What  the  rea- 
son for  this  course  was  Ave  are  not  informed,  but  at  the  next 
Conference — in  June,  1773 — the  following  resolutions  were 
adopted : 

"  None  of  the  preachers  in  America  to  reprint  any  of  Mr. 
Wesley's  books  without  his  authority  (when  it  can  be  got- 
ten) and  the  consent  of  their  brethren. 

"  Robert  Williams  to  sell  the  books  he  has  already  print- 
ed, but  to  print  no  more,  unless  under  the  above  restric- 
tions." 

The  history  of  Methodism  reveals  now  and  then  some 
queer  legislation.  This  is  a  specimen.  We  can  understand 
that  Mr.  Wesley  had  a  perfect  right  to  control  the  publica- 
tion of  his  books,  but  it  is  not  so  easy  to  see  by  what  right 
a  Conference  requires  its  members  to  obtain  "the  consent  of 
their  brethren"  before  venturing  the  publication  of  a  book; 
yet  this  action  seems  to  have  stopped  the  book  business  for 
awhile.  John  Dickens,  who  had  been  stationed  in  New 
York  for  the  three  preceding  years,  was  appointed  to  Phil- 
adelphia as  pastor  of  the  Church  and  as  "Book  Steward." 
The  Concern,  which  was  afterward  to  become  such  a  power 
for  good  in  the  land,  was  started  on  the  small  capital  of  six 
hundred  dollars,  loaned  it  by  Dickens.  The  first  book  pub- 
lished was  Mr.  Wesley's  edition  of  "A  Kempis" — a  devo- 
tional book  of  pure  sentiment,  by  a  Roman  Catholic.  We 
have  before  us  a  copy  of  the  Arminian  }fagazine,  Vol. 
I.,  which  was  also  issued  this  year.  These,  with  the  Meth- 
odist Discipline,  Baxter's  Saints'  Rest,  and  Wesley's  Primi- 


116  The  Pioneers  of  Method  inn 

tive  Physic,  completed  the  catalogue  for  this  year;  but  so 
rapidly  did  the  business  grow  under  Dickens's  skillful  man- 
agement that  in  1797  a  book  committee,  consisting  of  eight 
members,  was  appointed  to  assist  him  in  his  labor ;  nor  did 
it  cease  to  prosper  when  he  had  gone  to  his  reward.  In  the 
year  1804  it  was  removed  from  Philadelphia  to  Xew  York, 
where  the  business  continued  to  increase,  and  a  magnificent 
structure  was  erected  for  it,  which  was  destroyed  bv  fire  in 
1836. 

As  an  evidence  of  the  work  accomplished  by  the  institu- 
tion which  Dickens  founded,  we  record  a  little  incident  re- 
lated by  Dr.  Bangs.  After  the  fire,  a  public  meeting  was 
held  in  Xew  York  to  raise  funds  to  rebuild  it.  At  this 
meeting  a  gentleman  present,  a  member  of  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church,  arose  and  said :  "  I  have  lived  heretofore 
in  the  new  countries,  and  I  remember  the  time  when  the 
people  who  dwelt  in  their  log-cabins  had  no  other  books  to 
read  than  such  as  they  obtained  from  Methodist  itinerants, 
who  carried  them  around  their  circuits  in  their  saddle-bags, 
and  after  preaching  sold  them  to  the  people.  In  this  hum- 
ble way  the  poor  people  in  the  wilderness  were  supplied  both 
with  the  living  word  from  the  lips  of  God's  messengers  and 
with  reading-matter  for  their  meditation  by  the  fireside  when 
the  living  teacher  had  taken  his  departure.  Therefore,"  he 
added,  with  a  warmth  of  feeling  which  brought  forth  a 
spontaneous  burst  of  applause,  "put  me  down  one  thousand 
dollars  to  help  rebuild  the  Methodist  Book  Room." 

But  Dickens  did  not  live  to  see  the  fruits  of  his  labor  and 
his  loan.  In  1793  the  yellow  fever  swept  Philadelphia,  but 
he  remained  at  his  post.  Again,  in  1797,  the  fearful  scourge 
visited  the  city,  but  still  he  remained.  In  1798,  and  more 
terrible  than  ever  before,  the  plague  appeared  again.  Those 
cf  the  inhabitants  who  could  get  away  fled  to  a  place  of 
safety.     Still  he  stood  at  his  post,  ministering  to  the  sick, 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  117 

and  pointing  dying  souls  to  heaven.  Surrounded  by  the 
sick,  the  sorrowing,  and  the  dying,  he  wrote  to  Asbury:  "I 
sit  down  to  write,  as  in  the  jaws  of  death.  Whether  Prov- 
idence may  permit  me  to  see  your  face  again  in  the  flesh,  I 
know  not ;  but  if  not,  I  hope,  through  abundant  mercy,  we 
shall  meet  in  the  presence  of  God." 

While  visiting  the  sick  and  performing  kindly  offices  for 
the  dead,  he  fell  a  victim  to  the  disease,  and  on  the  27th  of 
September,  with  exclamations  of  joy  upon  his  lips,  passed 
from  earth  to  heaven.  His  death  threw  a  shadow  over  the 
whole  Church.  He  was  fifty-one  years  of  age.  In  the 
notice  of  his  death  written  by  his  brethren  aud  published  in 
the  minutes  (and  they  were  not  given  to  fulsome  eulogies  in 
that  day),  it  is  said:  "On  his  tomb  might  be  engraved,  or 
over  his  sleeping  ashes  with  truth  be  pronounced,  'Here 

LIETH  ONE  WHO,  IN  THE  CAUSE  OF  GOD,  NEVER  FEARED 
NOR  FLATTERED  MAN.'  " 

Dickens  was  the  first  of  the  American  Methodist  preach- 
ers to  distinguish  himself  as  a  writer.  Of  his  "  Short  Script- 
ural Catechism,"  issued  by  the  Book  Concern,  Dr.  Bangs 
says :  "  Whatever  may  be  said  in  behalf  of  others  which  have 
been  since  issued  from  the  press,  this  is  among  the  most  excel- 
lent of  them  all,  and  should  never  be  superseded  by  those  of 
less  intrinsic  merit.  It  contains,  in  fact,  a  body  of  divinity  in 
a  few  words,  selected  from  the  Holy  Scriptures,  arranged  in 
du£  order,  and  in  the  very  phraseology  in  '  which  the  Holy 
Ghost  teacheth.' " 

We  have  spoken  of  the  tender  friendship  which  existed 
between  him  and  Bishop  Asbury.  He  named  for  him  one 
of  his  children — the  Hon.  Asbury  Dickens,  a  most  estima- 
ble Christian  gentleman,  who  was  honored  with  many  of- 
fices of  public  trust.  * 


118  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 


JESSE  LEE. 

TT^HE  subject  of  this  sketch  is  known  in  history  rather 
JL  as  the  apostle  of  Methodism  to  New  England  than  as 
one  of  North  Carolina's  pioneer  preachers,  yet  among  them 
he  deserves  no  mean  mention.  It  was  here  that  he  first 
became  a  class-leader  and  exhorter,  here  that  he  preached 
his  first  sermon,  here  that  his  early  years  in  the  itinerancy 
were  spent,  and  here  that  he  endured  his  first  sufferings  "  for 
righteousness'  sake." 

The  period  in  which  Jesse  Lee  lived  was  a  memorable 
one.  He  saw  the  Established  Church  fall  with  British  do- 
minion in  the  States.  He  saw  the  birth  of  the  young  Re- 
public, witnessed  its  baptism  of  blood,  and  beheld  its  growth 
for  forty  years.  He  witnessed  the  advent  of  Methodism 
into  this  country,  saw  it  develop  into  an  independent  Church 
and  extend  its  borders  throughout  the  length  and  breadth 
of  the  land.  He  witnessed  wonderful  changes  in  the  moral 
character  and  religious  life  of  the  people — changes  which 
few  among  the  heroic  spirits  of  his  day  did  more  to  bring 
about  than  himself. 

LTnlike  many  of  his  contemporaries,  Mr.  Lee  kept  a  diary 
of  his  long  and  useful  ministerial  life,  and  noted  not  only  his 
public  labors,  but  his  daily  Christian  experience,  and  the 
impressions  made  upon  his  mind  by  the  chief  actors  in  the 
grand  drama  of  early  Methodist  history.  This  valuable 
record  was  destroyed  by  the  fire  which  consumed  the  Meth- 
odist Book  Concern,  in  New  York,  in  1836;  not,  however, 
until  copious  extracts  had  been  made  from  it  and  preserved 
in  a  "  Memoir  of  Lee,"  edited  by  the  Rev.  Mintou  Thrift,  of 
Petersburg,  Virginia,  and  published  by  the  Church  in  1823. 
To  this  work,  and  to  the  more  comprehensive  one  by  the 
Rev.  Dr.  L.  M.  Lee,  nephew  of  Mr.  Lee,  we  are  indebted 
for  many  of  the  facts  and  incidents  recorded  in  this  sketch. 


In  Xorth  Carolina  and  Virginia.  119 

Born  in  obscurity,  and  in  a  time  of  great  moral  darkness ; 
early  awakened  by  the  voice  of  conscience  to  seek  after  God, 
but  with  few  around  him  to  whom  he  could  unbosom  him- 
self, or  from  whom  he  could  derive  religious  instruction ;  for 
a  long  time  convicted  of  sin  and  walking  in  the  darkness  of 
doubt  and  fear  and  gloom — his  soul  at  last  finds  perfect  rest 
in  perfect  trust  in  Jesus.  This  blessed  assurance  of  the  di- 
vine favor  he  treasures  in  his  heart  as  "the  pearl  of  great 
price."  Day  by  day  we  find  him  examining  himself  to  see 
whether  or  not  he  is  still  united  to  Christ,  and  we  need  not 
be  surprised  if  he  sometimes  seems  too  careful  about  the 
feelings  which  he  thought  a  sense  of  redeeming  love  should 
excite  in  his  breast.  The  Methodists  of  that  day  felt  that 
they  were  falling  into  a  "poor  dying  rate"  of  living  when 
the  story  of  the  cross  did  not 

Dissolve  their  hearts  in  thankfulness, 
And  melt  their  eyes  to  tears. 

If  they  hesitated,  as  did  Lee,  to  enter  upon  the  life  of  a 
traveling  preacher,  it  was  not  that  they  "conferred  with 
flesh  and  blood."  The  toil  and  privation  before  them  did 
not  frighten  them.  The  bread  of  life  was  precious  to  them, 
and  they  were  not  unwilling  to  break  it  in  gladness  to  oth- 
ers ;  but  they  felt  that  God's  messengers  were  called  of  him, 
and  but  the  instruments — the  worthless  instruments — in  his 
hands  for  carrying  on  his  work.  Once  assured  that  the  di- 
vine hand  was .  upon  them,  that  the  divine  command  bid 
them  "  go  forward,"  and  that  God's  Spirit  was  leading  them, 
they  were  ready  to  plunge  into  the  ice-laden  forests  or  the 
fever-laden  swamps,  swim  freezing  torrents,  cross  snow-cov- 
ered mountains,  and  brave  alike  heat  and  cold,  sin  and 
death.  With  an  unfaltering  belief  in  their  divine  call  to 
the  work,  they  could  not  have  been  more  sensible  of  the 
divine  guidance  had  they  seen  the  pillar  of  cloud  by  day, 
and  the  pillar  of  fire  by  night  going  before  them,  or  the  Red 


120  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

Sea  opening,  and  the  Jericho  walls  falling  at  their  approach. 
Inspired  with  the  belief  that  they  were  but  the  Lord's  in- 
struments, through  whom  it  was  his  pleasure  to  perform  his 
work  and  display  his  power,  they  feared  no  man,  did  obei- 
sance to  no  man,  and  assailed  sin  in  high  places  and  low 
places  with  a  zeal  which  insured  success  and  made  Satan's 
strongholds  tremble.  We  may  laugh  at  the  uncouth  man- 
ner in  which  they  sometimes  delivered  their  message,  or  at  the 
awkwardness  with  which  they  threw  their  thunderbolts,  but 
it  would  be  well  for  us  of  to-day  if  all  our  preachers  went 
forth  to  the  battle  with  the  same  assurance  of  success  and 
the  same  confidence  in  the  never-failing  Source  of  their 
strength. 

Jesse  Lee  was  born  of  plain,  respectable  parents,  in  Prince 
George  county,  Virginia,  sixteen  miles  from  the  city  of  Pe- 
tersburg, on  the  12th  of  March,  1758.  As  we  have  before 
intimated,  it  was  a  time  and  place  of  great  spiritual  dark- 
ness; the  line  of  demarkation  between  the  Church  and  the 
world  was  to  be  sought  elsewhere  than  in  the  godly  lives  of 
either  the  clergy  or  the  laity ;  the  grand  essential  doctrine 
of  Protestantism — "salvation  by  faith" — was  little  known, 
and  all  that  religion  implied  was  supposed  to  be  embraced 
in  conforming  to  the  ritual  service  of  the  Church.  Not- 
withstanding this  deplorable  condition  of  affairs,  we  can 
trace  the  religious  inclinations  of  the  elder  Mr.  Lee  in  the 
names  which  he  gave  to  his  children — Nathaniel,  Jesse, 
Peter,  John,  Abraham,  Sarah,  and  Rebecca,  for  instance, 
reveal  the  old  gentleman's  reverence  for  the  Scriptures  long 
before  he  made  a  profession  of  experimental  religion. 

As  soon  as  young  Jesse  arrived  at  what  was  thought  a 
proper  age  to  begin  to  undergo  the  severities  incident  to  the 
acquirement  of  knowledge  in  that  day,  he  was  sent  to  the 
neighborhood  school.  Judging  from  traditions  which  have 
reached  us,  illustrating  the  systems  of  instruction  existing 


In  Xorth  Carolina  and  Virginia.  121 

at  that  time,  we  may  well  be  somewhat  surprised  to  know 
that  he  loved  books  and  delighted  in  study  in  after-years; 
but  we  may  safely  infer  that  he  did  not  acquire  the  habit 
at  school.  However,  as  was  the  custom,  the  "  reign  of  ter- 
ror" for  the  day  was  begun  by  reading  the  morning  service 
of  the  Church  of  England,  on  Wednesdays  and  Fridays; 
and  as  soon  as  young  Jesse  had  learned  to  read  with  tolera- 
ble accuracy,  he  was  required  to  procure  a  Prayer-book,  take 
it  to  the  church  on  the  Sabbath,  and  learn  the  catechism. 
The  record  also  adds  that  he  would  "  repeat  the  service  in 
a  manner  which  did  credit  to  one  of  his  age."  Little  as 
he  understood  it,  it  made  an  impression  for  good  on  his 
mind  for  which  he  was  grateful  in  after-life. 

In  the  year  1763,  a  circumstance  occurred  which  was, 
under  God,  the  means  of  introducing  religion  into  the  fam- 
ily of  young  Lee's  father.  The  Rev.  Devereux  Jarratt,  a 
man  "  full  of  faith  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,"  came  over  from 
London  in  July  of  this  year,  settled  in  Dinwiddie  county, 
and  in  August  following  was  elected  minister  of  Bath  par- 
ish. His  soul  was  stirred  at  the  deplorable  state  of  religion, 
and  he  began  to  labor  in  a  truly  apostolic  spirit,  not  confin- 
ing himself  to  his  parish,  but  traveling  through  the  adjoin- 
ing counties,  and  even  into  Xorth  Carolina,  everywhere 
preaching  the  pure  word  of  God  in  an  earnest,  searching 
manner,  which  was  greatly  blessed  in  a  revival  of  genuine 
religion  in  the  hearts  of  the  people.  He  was  little  like  the 
parsons  to  whom  the  Virginians  had  been  accustomed,  and 
impressed  them  with  the  fact  that  a  dead  form  without  the 
power  of  godliness  would  not  suffice  to  save  their  souls. 
Through  his  influence  the  elder  Mr.  Lee  was  led  to  seek  a 
knowledge  of  regenerating  grace,  and  finally  to  become  a 
happy  Christian.  His  conversion  made  a  deep  impression 
upon  the  minds  of  his  children.  Jesse  began  earnestly  to 
seek  redemption  through  the  blood  of  Christ,  and  after  long 


122  '  The  Pioneer*  of  Methodism 

walking  in  darkness  and  doubt  and  fear,  he  experienced  a 
sweet  sense  of  the  divine  forgiveness  and  acceptance  which 
it  was  the  great  concern  of  his  after-life  to  cherish. 

And  so  it  came  to  pass  that  -when  good  old  Robert  Will- 
iams, the  Methodist  pioneer,  formed  the  first  circuit  in 
Virginia,  in  the  year  1774,  Mr.  Lee,  with  his  wife  and  two 
older  sons,  united  with  the  young  society.  This  (Bruns- 
wick) circuit  soon  extended  its  borders  over  fourteen  coun- 
ties in  Virginia  and  two  (Halifax  and  Bute)  in  North  Caro- 
lina, and  required  the  services  of  four  traveling  preachers. 
The  wonderful  revivals  which  followed  the  labors  of  these 
men  were  great  means  of  grace  to  young  Jesse,  and  it  was 
not  long  before  he  began  to  feel  that  the  Lord  had  work  for 
him  to  do,  but  he  was  greatly  depressed  by  youthful  timid- 
ity, and  could  not  get  the  consent  of  his  mind  to  attempt  to 
speak  in  public,  particularly  in  the  presence  of  so  many  of 
his  old  acquaintances. 

About  this  time,  a  near  relation  in  Halifax  county,  North 
Carolina,  being  left  in  a  widowed  state,  he  was  impelled  by 
motives  of  kindness  to  her  to  remove  thither.  In  a  new 
field  he  felt  less  embarrassment,  and  as  soon  as  he  united 
with  "the  class  at  B.  Dobs's"  he  was  appointed  class-leader, 
and  began  to  hold  meetings  in  the  neighborhood,  earnestly 
exhorting  the  people  to  flee  the  wrath  to  come  and  be  saved 
from  their  sins.  We  note  the  fact  that  this  part  of  North 
Carolina  was  at  this  time  (March,  1778)  on  the  Brunswick 
Circuit,  and  William  Waiters,  Freeborn  Garrettson,  and 
John  Tunnell  were  the  traveling  preachers.  It  was  not  em- 
braced in  the  "North  Carolina  Circuit"  on  the  minutes  for 
this  year,  as  we  learn  from  his  journal  that  Freeborn  Gar- 
rettson was  holding  meetings  at  "  Locke's,"  and  other  places. 
At  the  ensuing  Conference,  May  19,  1778,  Roanoke  Circuit 
was  formed,  and  this  territory  was  then  ceded  to  it. 

On  the  17th  of  September,  1779,  "at  a  place  called  the 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  123 

Old  Barn,"  Lee  tells  us,  he  preached  his  first  sermon.  He 
had  now  entered  upon  a  course  of  active  usefulness,  having 
spent  much  time  in  reading  such  books  as  he  could  com- 
mand, and  which  would  be  of  service  to  him  in  expounding 
the  word  of  God.  About  this  time  the  Rev.  John  Dickens, 
pastor  of  Roanoke  Circuit,  desiring  a  few  weeks'  leisure  to 
complete  some  writings,  requested  him  to  take  his  place  on 
the  circuit  and  supply  his  lack  of  service  for  a  few  weeks. 
This  was  his  first  experience  as  a  traveling  preacher. 

In  July  of  the  next  year  (1780)  the  militia  were  drafted 
for  the  army,  and  it  fell  to  Mr.  Lee's  lot  to  go.  He  weighed 
the  matter  in  his  mind,  and  determined  that  he  could  not, 
as  a  Christian  man,  bear  arms;  but  he  went  to  the  army, 
which  he  found  encamped  at  Thomas's  Tavern,  near  the 
present  city  of  Raleigh.  When  the  guns  were  presented, 
he  refused  to  take  one,  and  was  in  consequence  placed  un- 
der guard.  The  officers  and  men,  he  tells  us,  tried  to  per- 
suade him  to  lay  aside  his  scruples  and  take  up  arms  to 
defend  his  country,  but  he  was  not  to  be  persuaded.  Once 
convinced  that  a  certain  course  of  action  was  right,  he  was 
immovable.  As  was  said  of  Andrew  Jackson,  Lee  "  never 
retraced  his  steps." 

That  night  he  remained  under  guard  with  a  Baptist  broth- 
er, and  together  they  had  prayers.  Lee  was  happy,  for  he 
felt  that  he  was  suffering  "for  righteousness'  sake."  The 
next  morning,  "as  soon  as  it  was  light,"  he  began  to  sing, 
and  the  scene  that  followed  is  very  touching.  u  Some  hun- 
dreds of  people"  gather  around  him  and  unite  "in  making 
the  plantation  ring  with  the  sweet  songs  of  Zion."  And 
then  they  kneel  in  prayer,  and  while  he  is  praying  his  soul 
is  "happy  in  God,"  and  he  "weeps  much,"  and  "prays 
loud,"  and  "many  of  the  poor  soldiers  also  weep."  And 
then  the  tavern-keeper,  who  has  been  awakened  by  the 
singing,  and  who  "could  not  refrain  from  weeping"  at  the 


124  The  Pioneers  oj  Method  Urn 

prayer,  comes  out  to  know  if  Lee  will  not  preach  that  day, 
"  it  being  the  Sabbath."  He  consents,  delivers  his  message, 
and  "many  of  the  people,  officers  as  well  as  men,  are  bathed 
in  tears"  before  he  concludes.  This  was  probably  the  first 
Methodist  preaching  in  the  vicinity  of  Raleigh.  Lee,  hav- 
ing made  a  good  impression  on  the  colonel  by  his  preaching, 
was  released  from  confinement,  and  allowed  to  drive  a  wag- 
on instead  of  bear  arms ;  but  he  was  soon  after  excused  and 
allowed  to  return  home. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  year  he  went,  with  Edward 
Dromgoole,  at  the  request  of  the  assistant,  Caleb  B.  Peddi- 
cord,  to  form  a  circuit  in  the  section  of  country  contiguous 
to  Edenton.  It  is  thought  that  they  were  the  first  Method- 
ist preachers  who  visited  that  town.  There  was  a  neat  house 
of  worship  there,  belonging  to  the  Church  of  England.  Of 
this  the  Rev.  Mr.  Pettigrew*  was  rector.  He  was  very 
kind  to  the  Methodists,  and  was  regarded  as  an  inoffensive, 
good  man.  Lee  and  Dromgoole  planned  a  circuit,  which 
was  afterward  called  Camden,  and  returned  home.  The 
town  of  Edenton,  it  seems,  was  not  embraced  in  the  circuit, 
as,  in  1785,  Dr.  Coke  writes  that  the  preachers  "ought  to 
take  this  place  in." 

The  following  year  (1783)  Lee  joined  the  Virginia  Con- 
ference, and  was  sent  as  junior  preacher  to  the  Caswell  Cir- 
cuit in  North  Carolina,  This,  he  tells  us,  was  at  that  time 
"  a  moral  wilderness."     The  work  being  found  inadequate 

*  There  is  a  tradition  about  Mr.  Pet tigrew's  predecessor,  who,  it 
seems,  was  thought  to  pay  rather  much  attention  to  his  fisheries.  On 
going  to  church  one  Sabbath  morning  he  found  the  following  dog- 
gerel on  the  door,  staring  him  in  the  face 

"A  very  fine  church, 

With  a  very  tall  steeple, 
A  herring-catching  parson, 
And  a  wicked  set  of  people." 


Li  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  125 

to  two  preachers,  lie  was  transferred,  after  making  one  round, 
to  Amelia  Circuit,  in  Virginia. 

In  1784  he  was  appointed  to  Salisbury  Circuit,  North 
Carolina,  where  his  labors  were  greatly  blessed.  On  the 
24th  of  December  of  this  year  the  celebrated  "  Christmas 
Conference,"  which  organized  the  Church,  met  in  the  city 
of  Baltimore,  but,  owing  to  the  limited  time  of  the  notice 
given,  he  was  unable  to  attend.  During  the  month  of  Feb- 
ruary following,  Asbury  passed  through  Salisbury  Circuit, 
on  his  way  to  Charleston,  and  had  an  appointment  to  preach 
at  Colonel  Hendren's,  in  Wilkes  county.  Lee  attended,  and 
was  delighted  to  see  him,  as  he  had  not  met  him  since  his 
election  to  the  episcopacy,  but  was  much  surprised  and 
mortified  when  Asbury  appeared  before  the  congregation 
assembled  at  the  Colonel's  in  full  canonicals — black  gown, 
cassock,  and  band.  The  Prayer-book,  which  Wesley  had 
prepared  and  Coke  had  brought  over,  was  also  brought  into 
use.  Lee  looked  upon  these  appendages  as  incentives  to 
formalism,  and  ill  suited  to  the  primitive  manners  and  sim- 
ple form  of  worship  of  the  times.  At  any  rate,  they  were  not 
long  in  vogue,  and  in  a  few  years  passed  away.  His  displeas- 
ure did  not  extend,  however,  to  Asbury,  who  wore  them — it 
stopped  with  them.  By  this  time  he  had  made  considerable 
reputation  for  himself  as  a  preacher,  and  Asbury  requested 
him  to  accompany  him  to  Charleston,  which  he  did,  return- 
ing to  his  circuit,  however,  to  finish  the  work  of  the  year 
and  meet  his  brethren  of  the  Conference  at  Green  Hill's, 
April  20,  1785.  His  labors  for  the  next  few  years  were 
mostly  confined  to  the  State  of  Maryland,  although  he  fre- 
quently visited  his  old  home  in  Virginia,  and  assisted  in 
many  of  the  great  revivals  with  which  the  Church  in  that 
State  was  blessed. 

While  accompanying  Bishop  Asbury  to  Charleston,  he 
met  a  man  from  New  England  who  gave  him  some  account 


126  The  Pioneer*  of  Methodism 

of  the  state  of  religion  in  that  section.  From  that  time, 
Lee  seems  to  have  turned  his  eyes  toward  that  quarter,  and 
gradually  worked  his  way  northward.  In  1789  he  entered 
the  New  England  States,  where  the  greatest  labors  of  his 
life  were  to  be  given,  and  where  a  rich  harvest  awaited  him. 
Here  he  met  and  defeated  Calvinism  on  its  own  fields,  and 
under  his  preaching  Methodist  churches  sprung  up,  and 
new  circuits  were  formed  and  manned  until  the  entire  ter- 
ritory felt  the  influence  of  the  circuit-riders.  On  these  fields 
Lee  richly  merited  the  title  accorded  him  of  pioneer  and 
father  of  American  Methodism ;  but  a  detailed  account  of 
his  labors  here  would  be  foreign  to  the  purpose  of  this 
work. 

In  1797  Bishop  Asbury's  failing  health  requiring  him  to 
take  an  assistant  he  selected  Mr.  Lee,  who,  in  this  capacity, 
traversed  the  entire  length  of  the  work  from  Canada  to 
Georgia.  He  continued  to  fill  this  important  position  un- 
til the  year  1800,  when  the  General  Conference  proceed- 
ed to  elect  another  bishop.  Lee  came  very  near  being 
elected,  Richard  Whatcoat  receiving  only  four  votes  more 
than  he. 

In  1802  we  find  him  on  the  Norfolk  District,  and  travel- 
ing over  the  old  battle-fields  of  early  Methodism  in  Virginia. 
A  letter  from  him  to  Asbury,  while  on  this  charge,  may  not 
be  out  of  place  or  devoid  of  interest.  It  was  published  in 
a  collection  of  letters  in  1805,  and  has  not,  we  believe,  been 
reproduced  since: 

"September  16,  1802. 

"  I  received  your  letter  from  Philadelphia,  and  was  made 
glad  to  hear  of  the  great  things  that  God  was  doing  in  the 
North.  You  can  recollect  with  pleasure  the  glorious  things 
that  were  wrought  in  this  district  in  the  year  1789,  but 
the  unhappy  division  which  took  place  soon  after,  chief- 
ly by  one  man,  to  the  injury  of  many  precious  souls,  was 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  127 

one  great  hinderance  to  the  work.  But  the  Lord  has  given 
some  late  gracious  intimations  of  his  presence  amongst  us 
once  more — may  we  hope  never  more  to  leave  us  as  a  peo- 
ple. The  work  began  on  Whitsuntide,  at  a  quarterly-meet- 
ing at  Mabry's  Chapel,  at  which  time  and  place  about  ten 
souls  professed  to  be  converted ;  and  from  thence  it  spread 
through  many  parts  of  the  circuit ;  and  I  humbly  hope  from 
that  time  one  hundred  and  fifty  souls  have  been  brought  to 
God.  It  will  give  you  great  consolation  to  hear  that  God 
has  visited  the  families  of  the  ancient  Methodists,  especially 
in  the  young  and  rising  generation;  among  these  are  the 
Dromgooles,  Wyches,  Hobbses,  and  Pelhams.  We  had 
thirteen  that  professed  converting  grace  at  Merit's  Chapel, 
Brunswick  Circuit.  In  Greensville  there  is  a  gracious  work. 
It  spread  about  Salem,  from  the  last  yearly  Conference,  and 
it  came  up  from  Brunswick  Circuit.  At  Ira  Ellis's  meet- 
ing-house, at  the  last  quarterly-meeting,  we  had  twelve  con- 
verted, if  no  more;  among  these  Edward  Dromgoole's  sec- 
ond son  and  daughter  professed  to  be  born  again.  In  short, 
the  Lord  is  bringing  home  abundance  of  the  ancient  Meth- 
odist children.  Sussex,  that  you  recollect  was  favored  in 
the  last  revival,  is  visited  in  this;  I  understand  that  about 
one  hundred  have  been  converted  in  the  space  of  six  weeks. 
It  began  at  Jones's  Chapel,  at  our  quarterly-meeting;  six- 
teen souls  professed  to  have  found  a  change.  You  will  rec- 
ollect how7  it  was  at  this  chapel  in  the  year  1787,  and  God 
is  gracious  still.  In  the  settlement  of  Lloyd's  Chapel  num- 
bers have  been  brought  to  Christ,  There  has  been  a  great 
and  gracious  work  in  the  Amelia  Circuit.  There  is  a  reviv- 
al in  some  societies  in  Cumberland  Circuit.  Many  souls 
have  been  converted  in  Mecklenburg  Circuit,  The  work  is 
considerably  great  in  Bertie  Circuit.  There  is  a  small  re- 
vival in  Portsmouth  Circuit.  Camden  Circuit  has  gained  a 
little.     I  hear  that  John  Chalmers,  Br.,  has  been  at  Norfolk, 


1 28  Th e  Plon eers  of  Method i*m 

and  the  flame  is  kindled,  and  many  are   converted.     Ke- 
member  me  in  all  your  prayers.     I  am,  sir,  yours  in  love, 

"Jesse  Lee." 

We  cannot  attempt  to  follow  him  in  all  his  travels,  or  to 
record  here  his  work;  that  finds  its  proper  place  on  the 
record  of  the  Church's  history.  We  have  only  space  to 
notice  a  few  traits  in  his  character  before  we  close  this 
sketch : 

Jesse  Lee  was  no  lover  of  filthy  lucre.  After  preaching 
near  Ealeigh,  while  under  guard  for  refusing  to  bear  arms, 
the  people  were  so  delighted  with  his  sermon  that  they 
began  to  make  up  a  purse  for  him  by  voluntary  contribu- 
tions, but  he  ran  out  among  them  and  begged  them  to  de- 
sist, assuring  them  that  he  could  not  receive  it. 

At  the  Philadelphia  Conference,  he  bitterly  opposed  the 
resolution  to  allow  the  preachers  a  small  fee  for  performing 
the  rite  of  matrimony.  While  traveling  in  New  England, 
the  people  at  one  place  were  so  pleased  with  him  that  they 
offered  him  a  handsome  salary  to  remain  with  them  as  their 
stationed  pastor,  but  he  only  replied,  "I  am  no  hireling," 
and  rode  away.  How  little  he  accumulated  of  this  world's 
goods  is  attested  by  the  fact  that  when,  in  1809,  he  deter- 
mined to  buy  a  small  farm  (thinking  that  his  itinerant  days 
were  about  over),  he  had  only  two  hundred  dollars  to  ad- 
vance toward  paying  for  it  after  devoting  twenty-six  years 
of  his  life  to  the  service  of  the  Church. 

His  keen  wit  and  hearty  good  humor  were  proverbial. 
Asbury,  who  was  sometimes  very  despondent,  tells  us  that 
he  found  Lee's  company  very  desirable.  More  than  once 
did  his  wit  and  humor  serve  him  a  good  purpose  in  debate. 
He  was  quick  to  appreciate  it  in  others.  It  is  recorded  of 
him  that  while  traveling  with  several  other  preachers  they 
came  one  day  to  the  house  of  a  Methodist  about  dinner- 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  129 

time.  It  was  harvest-time.  The  gentleman  had  gathered 
his  neighbors  together  to  help  him  reap,  and  had  provided 
a  sumptuous  dinner.  The  hungry  preachers  were  seated 
first  at  the  table,  and  made  sad  havoc  with  the  before 
bountiful  supply.  They  then  made  way  for  the  harvesters. 
There  was  disappointment  in  their  faces  as  they  seated  them- 
selves at  the  table.  One  of  them — "a  happy-looking  gen- 
ius with  a  dry  gravity  of  demeanor" — essayed  to  ask  a 
blessing  in  these  words : 

O  Lord,  look  down  on  ns  poor  sinners, 

For  the  preachers  have  come  and  eat  up  our  dinners. 

The  other  preachers  did  not  know  at  first  how  to  take  it, 
but  Lee  broke  forth  in  a  convulsive  laugh,  which  showed 
how  keenly  he  appreciated  the  joke. 

This  favorite  weapon  of  his  was  used  against  him  with 
powerful  effectiveness  in  1812.  The  question  of  graduating 
local  deacons  to  elders'  orders  had  been  discussed  at  every 
General  Conference  for  sixteen  years,  and  always  opposed  by 
Lee  and  defeated.  At  this  Conference  he  was  to  be  defeat- 
ed himself,  and  with  his  own  weapon.  He  urged  his  ob- 
jections to  admitting  local  preachers  to  elders'  orders  with 
great  force,  and  insisted  that,  as  local  preachers,  they  could 
not  assume  the  vows  and  obligations  required  of  applicants 
for  elders'  orders.  The  grand  old  logician  Rev.  Asa  Shinn 
silenced  his  battery  forever  by  reminding  the  Conference 
that  when  Jesse  Lee,  twenty  years  before,  was  ordained  an 
elder,  he  had  promised  to  rule  well  his  own  family,  and  that 
the  old  bachelor  had  not  kept  his  promise.  The  motion 
prevailed.  The  house  was  convulsed  with  laughter,  and  no 
one  enjoyed  the  thrust  more  than  the  vanquished  old  elder. 

He  retained  his  anti-war  principles  to  the  last.  While 
traveling  near  Petersburg,  Virginia,  one  morning  in  the 
latter  part  of  his  life,  he  was  accosted  by  a  man  who  ex- 
pressed his  determination  to  whip  him  for  a  rebuke  given 
9 


130  The  PUmeers  of  Methodism 

at  a  meeting  several  years  previous.  Lee  stopped  his  horse, 
and  looking  him  full  in  the  face  said:  "You  are  a  younger 
man  than  I  am.  You  are  strong  and  active,  and  I  am  old 
and  feeble.  I  have  no  doubt  but  if  I  were  disposed  to  fight 
you  could  whip  me  very  easily,  so  it  would  be  useless  for 
me  to  resist.  But  as  'a  man  of  God'  I  'must  not  strive.' 
So,  if  you  are  determined  to  whip  me,  if  you  will  just  wait 
I  will  get  out  of  my  gig  and  get  down  on  my  knees,  and  you 
may  whip  me  as  long  as  you  please." 

The  man  was  completely  disarmed.  His  anger  was  gone, 
his  spirit  wras  subdued,  and  he  begged  the  old  preacher's 
pardon  for  his  rudeness.  Years  after,  when  his  own  locks 
where  whitening  for  the  tomb,  and  his  heart  had  felt  the 
subduing  influence  of  divine  grace,  he  told  the  story  on 
himself. 

Mr.  Lee  was  the  author  of  several  books.  His  "  History 
of  the  Methodists,"  while  very  imperfect  as  a  history,  is  a 
very  valuable  record.  Some  of  his  published  sermons  are 
very  good.  Mr.  Thrift  gives  a  number  of  his  sketches  of 
sermons,  which  show  him  to  have  been  a  plain,  practical, 
forcible,  pointed  preacher. 

He  was  three  times  elected  Chaplain  to  Congress,  and 
filled  for  long  years  some  of  the  most  responsible  positions 
of  the  Church.  From  the  records  which  he  has  left  us  we 
learn  that  he  was  an  industrious  reader  of  such  books  as  he 
thought  likely  to  prepare  him  for  his  work  as  a  minister  of 
the  gospel. 

When  the  remains  of  Bishop  Asbury  were  taken  to  Bal- 
timore for  reinterment,  in  the  long  train  of  mourners  was 
Jesse  Lee.  Mr.  Thrift,  his  biographer,  and  who  walked  by 
his  side  on  the  occasion,  says:  "Mr.  Lee's  countenance  be- 
spoke the  emotions  of  his  mind — a  dignified  sorrow  such  as 
veterans  feel  while  following  to  the  grave  an  old  companion- 
in-arms  was  evinced  by  his  words  and  countenance.     They 


In  Nortli  Carolina  and  Virginia.  131 

had  Buffered  together,  and  had  long  fought  in  the  same 
ranks ;  the  one  had  gained  his  crown,  the  other  was  soon  to 
receive  it." 

He  "died  well."  His  sun  set  without  any  sign  of  storm 
or  cloud.  He  was  taken  ill  at  a  camp-meeting  on  the  east- 
ern shore  of  Maryland,  and  was  removed  to  the  house  of 
Mr.  Sellers,  in  the  town  of  Hillsboro.  There  he  saw  the 
end  draw  nigh,  but  there  was  light  in  the  valley.  "Glory, 
glory,  glory!  Halleluiah!  Jesus  reigns!"  broke  from  his 
lips  ere  his  spirit  took  its  everlasting  flight.  His  remains 
were  deposited  in  the  old  Methodist  burying-ground  in  Bal- 
timore, and  over  them  a  plain  marble  slab  was  erected, 
bearing  this  inscription : 

IN  MEMORY  OF 

THE  EEV.  JESSE  LEE, 

Born  in  Prince  George  county,  Virginia,  175S; 

Entered  the  Itinerant  Ministry  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  1783;  and 

Departed  this  life  September,  1816, 

Aged  58  years. 

A  man  of  ardent  zeal  and  great  ability  as  a  minister  of  Christ, 

His  labors  were  abundantly  owned  of  God, 

Especially  in  the  New  England  States,  in  which  he  was  truly 

The  Apostle  of  American  Methodism. 


JOHN  TUNNEKL. 

IF  the  reader  will  call  to  mind  the  appearance  of  Thomas 
H.  Stockton,  and  the  mellifluous  voice  of  Thomas  G. 
Lowe,  he  will  have  formed  some  idea  of  John  Tunnell,  one 
of  the  most  eloquent  and  effective  preachers  of  early  Meth- 
odism, and  one  of  the  most  saintly  characters  that  ever 
adorned  the  Christian  profession  in  any  age  or  in  any  de- 
nomination. They  were  all  orators;  all  consumptives.  Tun- 
nell, like  Stockton,  bore  in  his  features  the  traces  of  disease 


132 


The  Pioneer*  of  Methodism 


and  the  appearance  of  death;  like  Lowe,  his  rich,  strong, 
melodious  voice  charmed  all  hearers,  as  his  eyes  glowed  and 
his  pale  features  were  lit  up  with  the  inspiration  of  his  theme, 
and  he  poured  forth  upon  the  listener  a  flood  of  heavenly 
eloquence.  Jesse  Lee  calls  him  a  "great  preacher;"  As- 
bury  calls  him  "a  great  saint."  He  was  a  man  dead  to  the 
world  and  its  vanities ;  a  man  who  saw  in  eternity  his  home, 
and  was  conscious  that  he  was  marching  steadily  there;  a 
man  whose  life  had  been  severed  from  the  chains  of  sin,  and 
"  hid  with  Christ  in  God ; "  a  man  who,  in  the  light  of  God's 
grace,  read  his  "title  clear  to  mansions  in  the  skies;"  a  man 
who  loved  Jesus,  and  desired  that  the  whole  world  should 
know  and  love  him ;  a  man  walking  with  God  in  the  garden 
of  faith,  and  merely  repeating  to  his  audience,  at  the  place 
of  worship,  the  message  delivered  to  him  in  the  retreat  of 
prayer.  He  did  not  attain  unto  this  exalted  height  in  the  spir- 
itual life  without  conflicts ;  and  his  features  were  marked  by 
the  unmistakable  lines  of  sorrow  and  humiliation,  and  inter- 
cession and  abnegation.  A  man  must  sound  the  depths  of 
human  misery  before  he  can  begin  to  comprehend  or  appreci- 
ate the  wonder  of  human  redemption.  He  must  taste  of  the 
gall  and  the  wormwood  before  he  is  prepared  to  rejoice  in 
God's  free  grace  abounding  to  the  chief  of  sinners.  He  must 
read  by  the  heaven-lit  torch  of  pain  in  his  own  heart  the 
mighty  mystery  of  life,  and  the  solemn  and  awful  meaning 
of  duty  and  destiny,  before  he  is  prepared  to  declare  unto 
others  the  whole  counsel  of  God.  So,  then,  we  are  prepared 
to  know  that  Tunnell  was  called  an  apostolic  man  in  his  day. 
The  supports  of  his  faith  had  reached  down — deep  down — 
to  the  eternal  springs  of  God's  purpose,  God's  will  concern- 
ing him,  and  God's  everlasting  love  toward  him  in  Christ 
Jesus,  and  with  joy  he  drew  water  from  the  wells  of  salvation. 
The  light  of  a  grand  life -purpose  shone  out  through  the 
windows  of  his  soul,  and  his  countenance  was  radiant  with  a 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  133 

mighty  hope.  His  words  fell  upon  his  hearers  as  the  echo 
of  the  answer  of  divine  inspiration  to  human  entreaty.  The 
listener  felt  that  the  man  before  him  was  just  from  the  mount- 
ain-top, where  he  had  conversed,  almost  face  to  face,  with 
God.  He  was  a  true  son  of  consolation,  winning  the  sinner 
away  from  his  sins,  bearing  him  on  the  never-drooping  wing 
of  his  own  strong  faith,  opening  to  his  enraptured  vision  the 
closed  doors  of  the  Father's  gracious  design,  and  pointing 
him  to  the  glories  and  beauties  of  the  kingdom  and  city  of 
God,  purchased  for  his  habitation  and  enjoyment  forever. 
No  better  picture  could  be  drawn  of  Tunnell  than  that  af- 
forded us  in  a  little  incident  that  has  come  down  to  us,  illus- 
trating the  impression  he  made  upon  a  hardened  sinner.  A 
sailor  passing  one  day  where  he  was  preaching  was  attracted 
by  the  lute-like  voice  o£  the  preacher,  and  paused  and  list- 
ened. He  was  deeply  affected,  and  on  returning  to  his  as- 
sociates, gave  expression  to  his  feelings  in  these  words:  "I 
have  been  listening  to  a  man  who  has  been  dead  and  in 
heaven;  but  he  has  returned,  and  is  telling  the  people  all 
about  that  world." 

Tunnell  entered  the  traveling  connection  at  the  Confer- 
ence held  at  Deer  Creek,  Md.,  May  20,  1777,  and  was  ap- 
pointed, with  William  Watters  and  Freeborn  Garrettson, 
to  Brunswick  Circuit.  This  field  at  that  time  embraced 
several  counties  in  Virginia,  and,  crossing  the  Roanoke, 
took  in  a  part  of  the  territory  afterward  known  as  "  Roan- 
oke Circuit."  It  numbered  thirteen  hundred  and  sixty 
members.  Jesse  Lee,  then  living  in  Halifax  county,  North 
Carolina,  was  one  of  the  class-leaders.  It  had  been  blessed 
with  the  labors  of  Williams,  Shadford,  Dromgoole,  Asbury, 
and  Rankin,  and  was  regarded  the  most  important  field  in 
the  Connection.  Imperial  old  Brunswick!  Not  only  did 
it  present  at  that  time  the  highest  type  of  Methodism  in 
America,  but  ever  since  have  the  various  branches  of  our 


134  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

common  family  continued  to  draw  from  its  primitive  terri- 
tory some  of  their  ablest  defenders. 

After  faithfully  serving  this  charge  one  year,  he  was  sent 
to  Baltimore  Circuit,  and  for  several  years  preached  with 
great  success  in  the  Middle  States.  His  health  failing,  he 
sought  a  milder  climate,  and  removed  to  St.  Christopher's 
Island,  in  the  West  Indies.  Not  only  did  the  change  prove 
beneficial,  but  he  so  won  the  affections  of  the  people  at  his 
new  home  that  he  was  offered  by  them  a  large  salary,  a  fur- 
nished house,  and  a  slave  to  wait  upon  him,  if  he  would  re- 
main with  them  as  their  pastor.  But  he  declined  their  gen- 
erous offer,  returned  to  America  shortly  after  the  Christmas 
Conference  of  1784,  where  he  was  elected  an  elder,  and  was 
sent  to  Charleston,  S.  C.  Methodism  was  just  then  being 
introduced  into  South  Carolina,  and  this  is  the  first  mention 
of  Charleston  on  the  minutes.  In  1786  he  labored  as  an 
"elder"  in  the  Middle  States.  The  next  year,  at  the  head 
of  a  little  band  of  kindred  brave  spirits,  he  bore  the  ban- 
ner of  Christ  across  the  Blue  Ridge,  and  laid  the  founda- 
tions of  Methodism  in  Western  North  Carolina  and  East 
Tennessee.  In  1788  he  appears  as  presiding  elder  over  Tar 
River,  Bladen,  New  River,  Roanoke,  Caswell,  New  Hope, 
Guilford,  Salisbury,  Yadkin,  and  Halifax  circuits,  in  North 
Carolina.  But  laborious  as  was  this  field  of  labor,  it  was 
on  a  yet  harder  field  that  the  consecrated  hero  was  to  die. 
In  1789  he  was  returned  to  the  Holston  District.  Although 
rapidly  declining  into  consumption,  he  did  not  shrink  from 
the  hardships  before  him.  In  that  wild,  rugged  country, 
amid  savage  beasts  and  savage  men,  he  proclaimed  the  glad 
tidings  of  the  gospel  of  peace ;  and  lying  down  in  the  wil- 
derness, with  no  other  shelter  than  the  star-lit  canopy,  we 
may  well  imagine  that,  like  Jacob  of  old,  he  had  visions  of 
angels  and  dreams  of  heaven.  Asbury,  traveling  through 
this  country,  learned,  on  July  Oth,  1700,  of  his  death  at 


Ill  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  135 

Sweet  Springs.  His  remains  were  borne  by  his  brethren 
over  the  mountains  to  Dew's  Chapel,  about  four  miles  east 
of  the  Springs.  There  Asbury  preached  his  funeral,  and 
there  he  still  sleeps,  without  a  memorial.  Of  this  occasion 
the  old  Bishop  says:  "I  preached  his  funeral;  my  text, 
'For  me  to  live  is  Christ,  and  to  die  is  gain.'  We  were 
much  blessed,  and  the  power  of  God  was  eminently  present. 
It  is  fourteen  years  since  Brother  Tunnell  first  knew  the 
Lord,  and  he  has  spoken  about  thirteen  years,  and  traveled 
through  eight  of  the  thirteen  States.  Few  men,  as  public 
ministers,  were  better  known  or  more  beloved.  He  was  a 
simple-hearted,  artless,  child-like  man;  for  his  opportuni- 
ties, he  was  a  man  of  good  learning;  had  a  large  fund  of 
Scripture  knowledge,  was  a  good  historian,  a  simple,  im- 
proving preacher,  a  most  affectionate  friend,  and  a  great 
saint.  He  had  been  wasting  and  declining  in  health  and 
strength  for  eight  years  past,  and  for  the  last  twelve  months 
sinking  into  consumption.  I  am  humbled.  O  let  my  soul 
be  admonished  to  be  more  devoted  to  God!" 

He  had  not  toiled  and  suffered  and  died  in  vain.  The 
seeds  he  had  sown  sprung  up  and  produced  abundant  fruit ; 
and  from  his  unmarked  grave  in  the  mountains  a  voice 
seems  to  whisper  to  us  who  have  taken  up  the  same  cross 
and  proclaim  the  same  gospel :  "Be  faithful  to  the  great  trust 
that  is  committed  to  you.  Be  devoted  to  Christ.  Serve  your 
generation  by  the  will  of  God.    Look  beyond  for  your  reward." 

He  has  been  well  and  truly  styled  the  Apollos  of  early 
Methodism.  But  not  only  was  he  an  orator,  he  was  a  saint. 
No  man  in  that  body  of  devoted  heroes  was  more  holy,  more 
heavenly -minded,  more  like  his  Master;  and  imbibing  the 
same  spirit,  he  followed  to  the  letter  the  injunction  of  the 
"  disciple  whom  Jesus  loved : "  "  Hereby  perceive  we  the  love 
of  God,  because  he  laid  down  his  life  for  us;  and  we  ought 
to  lay  down  our  lives  for  the  brethren." 


136  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

THOMAS  COKE. 

SOME  men  arc  never  fully  appreciated  until  they  are 
dead.  They  have  little  foibles  which  prevent  them 
from  directing  and  molding  public  thought  and  opinion, 
petty  faults  which  estrange  them  from  the  great  public 
heart,  and  hide  their  true  greatness  and  nobleness  from  the 
public  gaze;  but  when  they  are  dead,  when  the  mists  of 
prejudice  and  dislike,  which  their  unfortunate  manner  or 
imprudent  zeal  has  gathered,  clear  away,  and  the  one  great, 
noble,  loving,  unselfish  purpose,  which  ran  through  their 
whole  lives  and  shaped  them,  looms  up  in  the  pure  light 
which  shines  at  last  over  their  graves,  it  is  then  that  they 
find  their  proper  place  in  the  roll  of  the  world's  benefac- 
tors. 

Such  a  man  was  Thomas  Coke,  the  first  "superintendent" 
of  the  Methodist  Church.  Born  at  Brecon,  Wales,  in  the 
year  1747,  he  was  educated  at  Oxford,  and  took  orders  in 
the  Established  Church.  His  superior  talents  and  acquire- 
ments are  attested  by  the  fact  that  the  degree  of  D.C.L.  was 
conferred  upon  him  when  only  twenty-eight  years  of  age. 

It  is  possible  that  the  very  consciousness  of  his  intellectual 
superiority  unfitted  him  in  a  measure  for  the  office  of  an 
American  Methodist  bishop.  He  could  not  but  be  aware 
of  his  advantage,  in  this  respect,  over  his  brethren;  and 
nothing  is  more  natural  than  for  such  a  consciousness  to  de- 
velop a  rather  dictatorial  spirit.  Again,  the  life  of  a  stu- 
dent is  not  suited  to  the  study  of  human  nature.  Nothing 
but  rough  contact  with  the  world  can  bring  that  knowledge 
of  men  without  which  it  is  impossible  to  attain  the  plane  of 
highest  usefulness.  Coke  presented  the  spectacle  of  a  man 
in  hearty  sympathy  with  his  fellow-men  in  some  respects, 
and  yet  out  of  harmony  with  them.  Unflagging  energy 
and  zeal,  and  great  consecration  to  the  cause  of  Christ, 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  137 

marked  his  career  from  beginning  to  end.  He  made  no 
reservation  in  the  surrender  which  he  made  of  himself  to 
Christ — all  of  the  ardent  zeal  of  his  Welsh  temperament 
was  enlisted  in  the  great  work  of  leading  the  world  to  Je- 
sus. To  "serve  his  generation"  was  the  great  end  and  aim 
of  his  life — the  one  purpose  to  which  every  thing  else  was 
made  subordinate.  A  more  unselfish  character  is  not  re- 
corded in  the  annals  of  Methodism,  and  had  he  possessed 
the  power  to  adapt  himself  to  the  primitive  simplicity  of  the 
American  people  of  his  day,  had  he  not  been  separated  from 
them  by  living  in  a  sphere  of  advanced  ideas,  had  he  pos- 
sessed the  capacity  of  adapting  himself  to  human  thought 
and  feeling  in  its  various  stages  of  development — as  did  his 
colleague,  Francis  Asbury — Coke  would  have  been  to  Amer- 
ican what  Wesley  was  to  English  Methodism. 

That  he  had  foibles  which  disqualified  him  for  the  office 
of  a  great  leader,  that  he  was  frequently  wanting  in  pru- 
dence and  in  the  consideration  due  to  the  views  of  others 
who  differed  from  him  in  opinion,  will  appear  in  the  short 
narration  of  his  life  wThich  we  shall  give  in  this  sketch ;  but 
that  these  faults  are  to  be  regretted  and  excused  rather  than 
censured,  we  trust  will  likewise  appear;  and  it  is  due  to  his 
memory  to  say  that  no  evidence  of  inappreciation  from  his 
brethren,  no  semblance  of  disrespect  on  their  part,  which  he 
doubtless  sometimes  saw  and  keenly  felt,  was  ever  allowed 
to  dampen  in  the  least  the  ardor  of  his  interest  in  their  wel- 
fare. "Over  every  such  instance  of  human  frailty,"  says 
Dr.  Bangs,  "  he  threw  the  mantle  of  forgiveness  and  obliv- 
ion;" and  it  is  doubtful  whether  the  great  religious  move- 
ment of  the  last  century  produced  a  character  who  will  be 
longer  remembered,  or  whose  influence  will  be  longer  and 
more  widely  felt.  This  is  saying  much,  but  we  say  it  in 
view  of  his  influence  upon  the  missionary  spirit  of  the 
Church. 


138  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

He  was  the  only  child  of  wealthy  parents;  and  after  en- 
tering upon  his  ministry,  his  mind  wavered  under  the  infi- 
delity which  at  that  time  pervaded  the  university  and  the 
higher  circles  of  English  society.  He  was  appointed  to 
South  Pcmberton  parish,  Somersetshire,  and  pursued  his 
labors  with  great  earnestness  and  in  deep  religious  anxiety. 
The  writings  of  Shirlock  dismissed  his  doubts,  yet  he  had 
no  experimental  knowledge  of  religion,  but  was  earnestly 
inquiring  after  God.  An  interview  with  Maxfield,  Wes- 
ley's first  lay  preacher,  and  frequent  interviews  with  an  un- 
tutored Methodist  class-leader,  whom  he  chanced  to  meet  in 
Devonshire,  proved  under  God  to  be  the  means  of  leading 
him  to  the  rest  of  faith  in  Christ,  The  ignorant  laborer  he 
found  to  knowr  more  of  the  peace  of  assurance,  justification, 
and  adoption  than  the  educated  divine  had  learned,  and  to- 
gether they  would  converse  and  pray  until  Coke,  too,  could 
rejoice  in  the  same  confidence.  And  now  his  preaching  be- 
came too  evangelical  for  his  congregation.  A  rich  and  deep 
religious  experience  soon  developed  an  earnestness  in  the 
pulpit  which  gave  offense  to  the  Churchmen.  He  was  soon 
accused  of  having  Methodist  proclivities,  and  was  admon- 
ished by  the  bishop,  threatened  by  a  mob  among  his  parish- 
ioners, and  finally  dismissed.  In  this  dilemma  he  went  to 
Mr.  Wesley,  and  formally  connected  himself  with  the  Meth- 
odists. "On  the  day,"  says  Dr.  Stevens,  "that  he  left  his 
parish  to  cast  his  lot  with  the  Methodists,  the  bells  were 
rung,  and  hogsheads  of  cider  were  brought  out  for  the  free 
use  of  the  mob.  Petherton  celebrated  as  a  jubilee  its  deliv- 
erance from  a  "  Methodist  curate,"  but  it  gave  to  the  world 
"a  man  who  was  to  rank  second  only  to  Wesley  in  the  suc- 
cess of  American  Methodism,  and  to  be  the  first  Protestant 
bishop  of  the  New  World."  After  connecting  himself  with 
the  Methodists,  he  was  first  appointed  to  the  city  of  London, 
where  he  preached  with  great  acceptability  to  large  congre- 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  139 

gations,  and  his  labors  were  crowned  with  many  seals  to  his 
ministry.  Wesley  held  him  in  high  esteem,  and  called  him 
his  "right-hand."  He  rendered  valuable  service  to  Wesley 
and  to  English  Methodism  in  1784,  in  procuring  the  confir- 
mation of  the  celebrated  "Deed  of  Declaration,"  "which  de- 
fined and  gave  legal  existence  to  the  Methodist  Conference." 
At  the  Conference  held  at  Leeds  this  year  it  was  seen  to  be 
necessary  to  make  some  arrangements  for  ordaining  preach- 
ers in  America.  The  Revolutionary  War  had  left  the  Church 
of  England  no  jurisdiction  in  the  States,  and  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church  had  not  then  been  organized.  The  great 
majority  of  the  Episcopal  preachers  had  left  the  country  at 
the  outbreak  of  the  war,  and  had  returned  to  England. 
There  seemed  but  one  way  out  of  the  dilemma,  and  Mr. 
Wesley  took  steps  to  organize  a  Church  where  his  own  had 
no  longer  any  organization.  The  Prayer-book  was  abridged 
for  their  use,  and  on  the  2d  of  September,  1784,  at  Bristol, 
and  assisted  by  other  ordained  ministers  of  the  Church  of 
England,  Wesley  ordained  Coke,  and  instructed  him  to  con- 
secrate likewise  Mr.  Asbury — the  two  to  be  "joint  superin- 
tendents "  of  the  work  in  America.  The  credentials  Wesley 
gave  to  Coke  read  as  follows : 

"  To  all  to  whom  these  presents  shall  come,  John  Wesley, 
late  Fellow  of  Lincoln  College,  in  Oxford,  Presbyter  of  the 
Church  of  England,  sendeth  greeting. 

"Whereas  many  of  the  people  in  the  Southern  provinces 
of  North  America,  who  desire  to  continue  under  my  care, 
and  still  adhere  to  the  Doctrines  and  Discipline  of  the  Church 
of  England,  are  greatly  distressed  for  want  of  ministers  to^ 
administer  the  sacraments  of  baptism  and  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per, according  to  the  usage  of  the  said  Church ;  and  where- 
as there  does  not  appear  to  be  any  other  way  of  supplying 
them  with  ministers: 


140  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

"  Know  all  men  that  I,  John  Wesley,  think  myself  to  be 
providentially  called  at  this  time  to  set  apart  some  persons 
for  the  work  of  the  ministry  in  America.  And  therefore, 
under  the  protection  of  Almighty  God,  and  with  a  single 
eye  to  his  glory,  I  have  this  day  set  apart  as  a  superintend- 
ent, by  the  imposition  of  my  hands  and  prayer  (being  as- 
sisted by  other  ordained  ministers),  Thomas  Coke,  Doctor 
of  Civil  Law,  a  Presbyter  of  the  Church  of  England,  and 
a  man  whom  I  judge  to  be  well  qualified  for  that  great 
work.  And  I  do  hereby  recommend  him  to  all  whom  it 
may  concern  as  a  fit  person  to  preside  over  the  flock  of 
Christ.  In  testimony  whereof  I  have  hereunto  set  my 
hand  and  seal  this  2d  day  of  September,  in  the  year  of  our 
Lord  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  eighty-four. 

"John  Wesley." 

With  this  commission,  and  with  a  letter  from  Mr.  Wesley 
setting  forth  his  reasons  for  the  step  he  had  taken,  Coke,  ac- 
companied by  Whatcoat  and  Vasey,  who  had  also  been  ap- 
pointed to  America  by  the  Conference  at  Leeds,  landed  in 
New  York  on  the  3d  of  November  following.  On  the  loth 
they  met  Mr.  Asbury,  at  Barrett's  Chapel,  in  Delaware, 
and  Coke  opened  to  him  the  plan.  With  superior  judgment 
and  foresight,  Asbury  asked  that  a  Conference  of  all  the 
traveling  preachers  be  called;  that  the  matter  be  first  duly 
considered  and  determined  by  them ;  and  declined  the  posi- 
tion to  which  Wesley  had  appointed  him  until  he  should  be 
duly  elected  thereto  by  his  brethren.  Accordingly  it  was 
decided  to  hold  a  Conference  in  Baltimore,  to  begin  its  ses- 
sion on  the  24th  of  December  following.  Freeborn  Gar- 
rettson  was  sent  off  "  like  an  arrow,  the  whole  length  of  the 
continent,  or  of  our  work,"  says  Dr.  Coke,  "to  gather  all 
the  preachers  together  in  Baltimore  on  Christmas-eve." 

At  this  Conference  it  was  decided  to  form  the  societies  into 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  141 

a  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  making  the  episcopal  office 
elective,  and  Coke  and  Asbury  were,  by  the  votes  of  the 
preachers,  elected  "superintendents"  of  the  same.  Of  the 
meeting,  Coke  makes  this  mention  in  his  journal : 

"Baltimore,  Friday,  Dec.  24-Jan.  2,  1785.— On  Christ- 
mas-eve we  opened  our  Conference,  which  has  continued  ten 
days.  I  admire  the  body^of  American  preachers.  We  had 
near  sixty  of  them  present.  The  whole  number  is  eighty-  / 
one.  They  are  indeed  a  body  of  devoted,  disinterested  men, 
but  most  of  them  are  young.  The  spirit  in  which  they  con- 
ducted themselves  in  choosing  the  elders  was  most  pleasing. 
I  believe  they  acted  without  being  at  all  influenced  either 
by  friendship  or  resentment  or  prejudice,  both  in  choosing 
and  rejecting.  One  elder  was  elected  for  Antigua — Jere- 
miah Lambert;  two  for  Nova  Scotia— Freeborn  Garrett- 
son  and  James  Cromwell;  and  ten  for  the  States  —  John  , 
Tunnell,  John  Haggerty,*^ James  O'Kelly,  Leroy  Cole,*7* 
William  Gill;  Nelson  Reed,  Henry  Willis,  Reuben  Ellis, 
Richard  Ivey,  and  Beverly  Allen.  They  also  elected  three 
deacons — John  Dickens,  Caleb  Boyer,  and  Ignatius  Pig- 
man.  Brothers  Tunnell,  Willis,  and  Allen,  of  the  elected 
elders,  were  not  present  at  the  Conference;  nor  Brother 
Boyer,  of  the  deacons.  The  Lord,  I  think,  was  peculiarly 
present  while  I  was  preaching  my  two  pastoral  sermons — 
the  first  when  I  ordained  Brother  Asbury  a  bishop,  the  sec- 
ond when  we  ordained  the  elders.  God  was  indeed  pleased 
to  honor  me  before  the  people.  At  six  every  morning  one 
of  the  preachers  gave  the  people  a  sermon.  The  weather 
was  exceedingly  cold,  and  therefore  Brother  Asbury  thought 
it  best  to  indulge  the  people,  and  our  morning  congregations 
held  out  and  were  good  to  the  last.  At  noon  I  preached,  ex- 
cep^on  the  Sundays  and  other  ordination  days,  when  service 
began  at  ten  o'clock,  it  generally  lasting  on  those  occasions 
four  hours;  and  the  chapel  was  full  every  time.     At  six  in 


1 42  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

the  evening  a  traveling  preacher  preached  in  the  Town  chapel, 
another  in  the  Point  chapel  (a  chapel  about  half  a  mile  out 
of  town),  and  another  in  the  Dutch  church,  which  the  pious 
minister,  Mr.  Otterbein,  gave  us  the  use  of  in  the  evenings 
during  the  Conference.  (Brother  Asbury  has  so  high  an 
opinion  of  Mr.  Otterbein  that  we  admitted  him,  at  Brother 
Asbury 's  desire,  to  lay  hands  on  Brother  Asbury  with  us 
on  his  being  ordained  bishop.)  By  this  means  the  congre- 
gations were  divided,  otherwise  we  should  not  have  had  half 
room  enough  for  the  people  who  attended  in  the  evening. 
Our  friends  in  Baltimore  were  so  kind  as  to  put  up  a  large 
stove,  and  to  back  several  of  the  seats,  that  Ave  might  hold  our 
Conference  comfortably.  Before  I  left  the  town  I  met  our 
principal  friends,  who  promised  me  to  put  up  a  gallery  in  our 
Town  church  (for  so  we  call  our  preaching-houses  now)  im- 
mediately. One  of  the  week-days  at  noon  I  made  a  collec- 
tion toward  assisting  our  brethren  who  are  going  to  Nova 
Scotia  and  Antigua,  and  our  friends  generously  gave  fifty 
pounds  currency  (£30  sterling)." 

From  this  Conference  Coke  started  out  upon  an  extensive 
preaching  tour  through  the  country.  He  was  met  by  large 
congregations.  On  the  loth  of  March,  1785,  he  reached 
Portsmouth,  Va.,  on  his  way  to  North  Carolina,  as  he  tells 
us,  "with  only  a  part  of  a  dollar  left."  This  town  was  then 
embraced  in  what  was  called  "Hampton  Circuit" — a  circuit 
of  no  mean  dimensions,  certainly,  extending,  as  it  did,  to 
"Pasquotank,"  N.  C.  This  field  was  manned  by  a  single 
preacher,  James  Morris. 

Dr.  Coke  was  highly  displeased  to  find  that  Mr.  Morris 
had  not  published  his  appointment.  A  quotation  from  his 
journal  may  serve  both  to  give  the  reason  for  this  seeming 
neglect  and  also  to  illustrate  a  feature  in  the  Doctor's  char- 
acter.    He  says : 

"  Brother  Morris  (the  only  preacher  on  this  circuit)  has 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  143 

neglected  to  publish  me,  so  that  the  people  have  had  hardly 
any  notice,  for  which  reason  I  suppose  my  congregations 
throughout  the  circuit  will  be  comparatively  small.  Indeed 
he  has  committed  a  much  worse  neglect  than  this,  for  he 
has  not  preached  in  most  parts  of  the  circuit  for  these  two 
months,  and  in  some  places  not  these  ten  weeks,  although 
the  people  have  regularly  attended  at  the  accustomed  times 
and  gone  away  like  fools."  He  states  as  the  reason,  the 
delicate  state  of  Morris's  wife's  health,  which  he  evidently 
thought  no  excuse  at  all,  and  adds :  "  If  I  knew  of  any 
preacher  to  supply  his  place,  I  would  suspend  him  imme- 
diately." 

When  the  scope  of  territory  embraced  in  the  circuit  and 
the  facilities  for  traveling  are  taken  into  consideration,  some 
in  these  days  will  think  that  the  good  Doctor  was  a  little 
severe  on  "  Brother  Morris ; "  but  his  views  were  in  wonder- 
ful harmony  with  the  spirit  of  the  early  Methodist  move- 
ment. With  the  grand  old  pioneers,  "  the  men  were  noth- 
ing, the  work  was  every  thing,"  and  Ave  are  not  surprised  to 
find  in  the  minutes  of  the  ensuing  Conference  the  name  of 
James  Morris  in  answer  to  the  question,  "  Who  desist  from 
traveling?" 

On  the  23d  of  March,  Coke  reached  Edenton,  which,  he 
tells  us,  was  "a  most  wicked  place."  The  people  seemed 
to  prefer  the  court-house — "an  elegant  place" — so  he 
went  there  and  "preached  to  a  large  congregation."  There 
"seemed  nothing  but  dissipation  and  wickedness"  at  the 
tavern  at  which  he  stopped,  "  and  yet  the  landlord  would 
have  nothing  for  his  dinner."  Of  the  Episcopal  minister  in 
Edenton,  Coke  wrote:  "I  suppose  Mr.  Pettigrew  does  as 
much  good  in  Edenton  as  a  little  chicken."  This  uncalled- 
for  remark  about  a  man  who  had  been  exceedingly  court- 
eous and  hospitable  to  the  Methodist  preachers  was  published 
in  the  Arminian  Magazine  for  July,  1789.     We  are  glad  to 


144  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

know  that  the  Doctor  afterward  felt  called  upon  to  apologize 
for  it. 

From  Edenton,  preaching  at  various  points  on  the  way, 
he  proceeded  to  Roanoke  Chapel.  This  was  a  notable  church 
in  those  days.  Coke  was  painfully  impressed  with  the  moral 
destitution  of  the  peojue  in  the  country  through  which  he 
passed.  At  Roanoke  Chapel  he  met,  for  the  first  time,  the 
Rev.  Devereux  Jarratt,  of  the  Church  of  England,  a  man 
who  by  his  courteous  demeanor  and  hearty  sympathy  had 
drawn  to  him  the  hearts  of  all  the  Methodist  preachers. 
But  there  was  a  point  of  difference  between  the  English 
Doctor  and  the  Virginia  minister.  The  abolition  of  slavery 
was  an  end  which  Coke  desired  with  all  his  soul  to  bring 
about.  The  condition  of  the  slaves  enlisted  his  hearty  sym- 
pathy, and  he  was  far  from  prudent  in  the  manifestations  of 
his  zeal.  Mr.  Jarratt  could  not  be  convinced  that  slavery 
was  wrong,  and  Coke,  with  characteristic  impetuosity,  wrote : 
"  The  secret  is,  he  has  twenty-five  slaves  of  his  own."  This 
remark  was  also  published,  but,  on  mature  reflection,  the 
"  superintendent "  wrote  an  apologetic  letter  to  Jarratt,  which 
gave  satisfaction.  We  give  these  little  incidents  because 
they  reveal  the  man's  character  in  living  colors.  They  will 
not  lower  our  estimate  of  his  true  nobility  of  soul  when  we 
remember  his  readiness  to  make  amends  when  convinced 
that  he  was  wrong. 

After  preaching  at  various  places  along  the  line  between 
Virginia  and  North  Carolina,  we  find  him,  on  the  19th  of 
April,  at  Green  Hill's,  in  Franklin  county,  where  the  first 
Conference  held  in  North  Carolina  (and  it  was  the  first  An- 
nual Conference  held  in  the  United  States  after  the  organi- 
zation of  the  Church)  met  on  the  next  day.  This  event 
deserves  more  than  a  passing  notice.  It  is  invested  with  a 
peculiar  interest  to  us  as  its  one  hundredth  anniversary  ap- 
proaches.    Of  this  Conference  Bishop  Asbury,  with  charac- 


In  Nortli  Carolina  and  Virginia.  145 

teristic  brevity,  says,  under  date  0/ April  19,  1785:  "I  met 
Dr.  Coke  at  Green  Hill's  that  evening.  Here  we  held  our 
Conference  in  great  peace."  But  the  Doctor  has  favored  us 
with  a  little  more  information.  The  question  of  providing 
for  a  North  Carolina  Conference  has  become  quite  a  serious 
one  in  these  days  since  that  body  has  grown  to  such  un- 
wieldy proportions.  Let  us  see  how  it  was  done  April  20, 
1785.  Coke  tells  us:  " There  wTere  about  twenty  preachers 
or  more  in  one  house,  and  by  making  or  laying  beds  on  the 
floors  there  was  room  for  all."  There  seems  to  have  been 
a  little  jar  on  the  slavery  question,  which  Coke  took  pains 
to  make  a  prominent  one  at  this  Conference,  as  at  every 
other  place  he  visited.  Jesse  Lee  was  present,  and  advo- 
cated a  more  deliberate  and  prudent  policy  in  regard  to 
slavery  than  that  to  which  the  Doctor  was  committed.  Coke 
concluded  that  he  was  not  friendly  to  the  abolition  idea, 
and  mentioned  this  as  an  objection  to  the  passage  of  Lee's 
character.  This  fired  the  heart  of  the  young  pioneer,  and 
words  of  bitterness  passed,  but  we  learn  from  Minton 
Thrift's  "Memoirs  ot  Lee"  that  the  Doctor,  discovering  his 
mistake,  "with  true  nobleness  of  soul  made  an  apology 
which  was  satisfactory,  and  the  breach  was  healed."  The 
Conference  held  three  days,  and  was  a  time  of  rejoicing. 
There  had  been  a  gain  of  nine  hundred  and  ninety-one  in 
this  division  during  the  year,  and  the  borders  had  been  ex- 
tended into  Georgia.  Asbury  had  brought  good  news  from 
Charleston,  where  a  door  had  been  opened  to  him.  Beverly 
Allen,  who  "had  all  South  Carolina  to  range  in,"  was  here 
ordained  deacon  and  elder,  sent  to  "  Georgia  Circuit,"  and 
two  preachers  were  sent  to  South  Carolina.  The  house  in 
which  this  Conference  was  held  is  yet  standing  and  in  good 
repair.  It  is,  situated  about  one  mile  south  of  Louisburg — 
the  property  of  Dr.  William  R.  King,  of  that  town,  a  grand- 
son of  the  pioneer  preacher,  John  King. 
10 


14G  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

From  Green  Hill's,  Coke,  in  company  with  Asbury,  went 
to  Mason's,  in  Virginia,  where  another  Conference  was  held 
May  1.  Here  he  met  the  spirit  of  opposition  to  the  minute 
against  slavery  (which  had  been  passed  at  the  "Christmas 
Conference"),  which  gave  him  no  little  trouble,  rendered 
him  very  unpopular  in  many  places,  and  sometimes  drew 
upon  him  threats  of  uncivil  treatment.  He  says:  "A  great 
many  principal  friends  met  us  here  to  insist  on  a  repeal  of 
our  slave  rules,  but  when  they  found  that  we  had  thoughts 
of  withdrawing  from  the  circuit  on  account  of  the  violent 
spirit  of  some  leading  men,  they  drew  in  their  horns  and 
sent  us  a  very  humble  letter,  entreating  that  preachers 
might  be  appointed  for  their  circuit." 

Again  he  says:  "After  mature  consideration,  we  formed  a 
petition,  a  copy  of  which  was  given  to  every  preacher,  en- 
treating the  General  Assembly  of  Virginia  to  pass  a  law  for 
the  immediate  or  gradual  emancipation  of  all  the  slaves.  It 
is  to  be  signed  by  all  the  freeholders  we  can  procure,  and 
those  I  believe  will  not  be  few." 

In  the  interest  of  this  measure,  and  having  a  letter  of 
introduction  from  General  Roberdeau,  Coke  and  Asbury 
called  on  General  George  Washington,  at  Mt.  Vernon,  on 
the  26th  instant  following.  They  were  well  received  and 
much  encouraged.  But  notwithstanding  the  petition  bore 
the  signature  and  the  project  carried  with  it  the  influence 
of  the  Father  of  his  Country,  it  met  so  great  opposition  and 
so  little  sympathy  that  the  enterprise  was  soon  abandoned 
in  despair,  and  the  Conference,  unable  to  enforce  them,,  had 
to  cancel  the  slave-rules  at  the  ensuing  meeting.  Of  the 
visit  to  Mt.  Vernon,  Coke  says: 

"His  Excellency's  seat  is  very  elegant,  built  upon  the 
great  river  Potomac,  for  the  improvement  of  the  navigation 
of  which  he  is  carrying  on  jointly  with  the  State  some 
amazing  plans.     He  received  us  very  politely,  and  was  very 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  147 

open  to  access ;  but  he  is  quite  the  plain  country-gentleman, 
and  he  is  a  friend  of  mankind.  After  dinner,  we  desired  a 
private  interview,  and  opened  to  him  the  grand  business 
on  which  we  came.  He  asked  us  to  spend  the  evening  and 
lodge  at  his  house,  but  our  engagement  at  Annapolis  the 
following  day  would  not  admit  of  it.  I  was  loath  to  leave 
him,  for  I  greatly  love  and  esteem  him,  and  if  there  was  no 
pride*  in  it,  would  say  that  we  are  surely  kindred  spirits, 
formed  in  the  same  mold.  O  that  my  God  would  give  him 
the  witness  of  his  Spirit!" 

On  the  first  of  June,  Coke  met  his  brethren  at  the  Con- 
ference in  Baltimore,  and  after  presiding  with  Asbury  over 
the  deliberations  of  the  body,  he  took  affectionate  leave  of 
them  and  embarked  for  Europe.  He  afterward  made  eight 
visits  to  this  country,  defraying  the  expenses  of  each  voyage 
out  of  his  own  private  means. 

But  the  peculiar  relations  which  he  sustained  to  Method- 
ism in  America  and  in  Great  Britain  were  to  cause  him  no 
little  annoyance.  The  conduct  of  all  the  British  preachers 
in  America,  except  Asbury,  during  the  Revolution;  their 
loyalty  to  the  king,  and  the  manner  in  which  they  had  left 
their  flocks  in  the  wilderness  and  returned  to  England ;  and 
the  unfortunate  and  imprudent,  if  not  Quixotic,  attempt  of 
Mr.  Wesley  to  induce  the  Americans  to  lay  down  their  arms 
and  own  the  dominion  of  the  Crown,  had  created  in  the 
minds  of  the  American  preachers  a  prejudice  to  their  breth- 
ren on  the  other  side  of  the  water.  Dr.  Coke;  by  his  un- 
fortunate and  abrupt  manner  and  his  imprudent  zeal  in  the 
cause  of  emancipation,  had  done  little  to  heal  the  wounds, 
and  his  brethren  in  America  were  prepared  to  view  with 
ill  favor  his  long  absences  in  Europe. 

In  1787  he  reached  this  country  just  in  time  to  attend 
the  first  Conference  of  the  year,  held  at  Salisbury,  North 
Carolina,  on  the  17th  of  March.      From   that   point  he 


148  Tlie  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

traveled  extensively  through  various  parts  of  the  country, 
preaching  to  large  congregations ;  but  when  he  reached  the 
Baltimore  Conference,  he  found  that  his  brethren  were 
much  displeased  with  him  because  he  had,  while  in  Europe, 
so  far  transcended  the  powers  rightfully  pertaining  to  his 
office  as  to  change  the  time  and  place  for  holding  the  Con- 
ference after  those  matters  had  been  determined  by  that  body 
itself.  This,  together  with  some  minor  complaints,  induced 
Coke  to  give  them  the  following  certificate: 

"  The  Certificate  of  Dr.  Coke  to  the  Conference. 

"I  do  solemnly  engage  by  this  instrument  that  I  never 
will,  by  virtue  of  my  office  as  superintendent  of  the  Meth- 
odist Church,  during  my  absence  from  the  United  States  of 
America,  exercise  any  government  whatever  in  said  Meth- 
odist Church  during  my  absence  from  the  United  States. 
And  I  do  also  engage  that  I  will  exercise  no  privilege  in 
the  said  Church  when  present  in  the  United  States  except 
that  of  ordaining  according  to  the  regulations  and  laws  al- 
ready existing  or  hereafter  to  be  made  in  said  Church,  and 
that  of  presiding  when  present  in  Conference ;  and,  lastly, 
that  of  traveling  at  large.  Given  under  my  hand  the  sec- 
ond day  of  May,  in  the  year  1787.  Thomas  Coke. 

"Witnesses:  John  Tunnell,  John  Hagerty,  Nelson  Keid." 

In  1789  a  circumstance  occurred  which  drew  upon  him 
unfavorable  comment  in  some  quarters.  The  Conference 
this  year  met  in  New  York,  at  the  same  time  that  the  first 
Congress  under  the  new  Constitution  assembled  in  that  city. 
Bishop  Asbury  asked  the  Conference  to  consider  the  pro- 
priety of  presenting,  as  a  Church,  a  congratulatory  address 
to  General  Washington,  who  had  been  recently  inaugurated 
President  of  the  United  States,  expressing  their  approbation 
of  the  new  Constitution,  and  professing  their  allegiance  to 
the   Government.      The   Conference   unanimously   recom- 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  149 

mended  the  measure,  and  requested  Bishops  Asbury  and 
Coke  to  prepare  the  address.  It  was  written  and  read  first 
before  the  Conference.  The  Revs.  John  Dickens  and  Thom- 
as Morrell  were  delegated  to  wait  on  the  President,  present 
him  a  copy,  and  request  him  to  appoint  a  day  and  hour 
when  he  would  receive  the  bishops  and  their  message.  This 
being  done,  when  the  appointed  time  arrived  Asbury  and 
Coke  waited  on  the  President,  and  Asbury  read  the  follow- 
ing address: 

"  To  the  President  of  the  United  States. 

"Sir:  We,  the  Bishops  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  humbly  beg  leave,  in  the  name  of  our  society,  col- 
lectively, in  these  United  States,  to  express  to  you  the  warm 
feelings  of  our  hearts  and  our  sincere  congratulations  on 
your  appointment  to  the  Presidentship  of  these  States.  We 
are  conscious,  from  the  signal  proofs  you  have  already  given, 
that  you  are  a  friend  to  mankind,  and  under  this  established 
idea  place  as  full  confidence  in  your  wisdom  and  integrity 
for  the  preservation  of  those  civil  and  religious  liberties 
which  have  been  transmitted  to  us  by  the  providence  of 
God  and  the  glorious  Revolution,  as  vfe  believe  ought  to  be 
reposed  in  man. 

"We  have  received  the  most  grateful  satisfaction  from 
the  humble  and  entire  dependence  on  the  great  Governor 
of  the  universe  which  you  have  repeatedly  expressed,  ac- 
knowledging him  the  Source  of  every  blessing,  and  partic- 
ularly of  the  most  excellent  Constitution  of  these  States, 
which  is  at  present  the  admiration  of  the  world,  and  may 
in  future  become  the  great  exemplar  for  imitation;  and 
hence  we  enjoy  a  holy  expectation  that  you  will  always 
prove  a  faithful  and  impartial  patron  of  genuine,  vital  re- 
ligion, the  g^and  end  of  our  creation  and  present  proba- 
tionary existence.    And  we  promise  you  our  fervent  prayers 


150  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

to  the  throne  of  grace,  that  God  Almighty  may  endue  you 
with  all  the  graces  and  gifts  of  his  Holy  Spirit,  that  he  may 
enable  you  to  fill  up  your  important  station  to  his  glory, 
the  good  of  his  Church,  the  happiness  and  prosperity  of  the 
United  States,  and  the  welfare  of  mankind. 

"Signed  in  behalf  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

"Thomas  Coke, 
"Francis  Asbury. 
"New  York,  May  29,  1789." 

The  following  is  Washington's  reply : 

"To  the  Bishops  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  the 

United  States  of  America. 

"  Gentlemen:  I  return  to  you  individually,  and  through 
you  to  your  society,  collectively,  in  the  United  States,  my 
thanks  for  the  demonstrations  of  affection,  and  the  expres- 
sions of  joy  offered  in  their  behalf,  on  my  late  appointment. 
It  shall  be  my  endeavor  to  manifest  the  purity  of  my  in- 
clinations for  j^romoting  the  happiness  of  mankind,  as  well 
as  the  sincerity  of  my  desires  to  contribute  whatever  may 
be  in  my  power  toward  the  civil  and  religious  liberties  of 
the  American  people.  In  pursuing  this  line  of  conduct,  I 
hope,  by  the  assistance  of  Divine  Providence,  not  altogether 
to  disappoint  the  confidence  which  you  have  been  pleased  to 
repose  in  me. 

"  It  always  affords  me  satisfaction  when  I  find  a  concur- 
rence of  sentiment  and  practice  between  all  conscientious 
men  in  acknowledgments  of  homage  to  the  great  Governor 
of  the  universe,  and  in  professions  of  support  to  a  just  civil 
government.  After  mentioning  that  I  trust  the  people 
of  every  denomination,  who  demean  themselves  as  good 
citizens,  will  have  occasion  to  be  convinced  that  I  shall 
always  strive  to  prove  a  faithful  and  impartial  patron  of 
genuine,  vital  religion,  I   must  assure  you,  in  particular, 


Ill  North  Carolina  and   Virginia.  151 

that  I  take  iu  the  kindest  part  the  promise  you  make  of 
presenting  your  prayers  at  the  throne  of  grace  for  me,  and 
that  I  likewise  implore  the  divine  benediction  on  yourselves 
and  your  religious  community.     George  Washington." 

This  action  of  the  Methodist  Conference  was  followed  by 
similar  proceedings  on  the  part  of  other  denominations ;  but 
the  fact  that  Dr.  Coke,  a  subject  of  the  British  Crown,  signed 
the  address — eulogizing  as  it  did  the  American  Constitution 
and  President — exposed  him  to  severe  censure  on  the  part 
of  his  English  brethren;  and,  in  America,  sectarian  hate 
made  an  attack  upon  him,  accusing  him  with  stirring  up  the 
English  people  against  the  colonies,  by  a  bitter  address 
against  the  movement  for  independence,  during  the  progress 
of  the  war.  From  the  latter  charge  he  was,  however,  suc- 
cessfully defended  by  his  friends. 

At  the  Conference  held  in  Baltimore  in  1796,  some  of  the 
preachers,  on  account  of  the  extension  of  the  work,  the  ill 
health  of  Bishop  Asbury,  and  the  long  absences  of  Dr.  Coke, 
agitated  the  question  of  electing  and  consecrating  one  of  the 
members  of  the  Conference  an  assistant  bishop.  Dr.  Coke, 
however,  put  an  end  to  this  discussion  by  making,  in  writ- 
ing, the  following  offer  of  himself,  which  was  gladly  ac- 
cepted : 

"  I  offer  myself  to  my  American  brethren  entirely  to  their 
service,  all  I  am  and  have,  with  my  talents  and  labors  in 
every  respect,  without  any  mental  reservation  whatever,  to 
labor  among  them  and  to  assist  Bishop  Asbury ;  not  to  sta- 
tion the  preachers  at  any  time  when  he  is  present ;  but  to 
exercise  all  the  episcopal  duties  when  I  hold  a  Conference 
in  his  absence  and  by  his  consent,  and  to  visit  the  West 
Indies  and  France,  when  there  is  an  opening  and  I  can  be 
spared.     Signed:  Thomas  Coke. 

"Conference-room,  Baltimore,  Oct.  27,  1796." 


152  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

On  his  return  to  England,  his  brethren  there  expressed 
great  regret  at  hearing  of  this  action  on  his  part,  and  de- 
siring him  to  preside  over  their  deliberations,  and  greatly 
needing  his  services  to  heal  some  divisions  among  them, 
they  addressed  an  affectionate  letter  to  their  American 
brethren,  stating  the  pressing  necessity  for  the  presence  and 
influence  of  Dr.  Coke  among  them,  asking  relief  for  him 
from  the  obligations  he  had  made  to  the  General  Confer- 
ence, and  requesting  his  speedy  return.  This  letter  Coke 
brought  with  him  on  his  visit  to  America  in  1797,  and  it 
"was  presented  and  read  to  the  Virginia  Conference.  No 
definite  action  could  be  taken  upon  it  by  any  other  body 
than  the  General  Conference,  which  did  not  meet  until  1800, 
but  the  following  extract  from  Asbury's  letter,  in  reply,  will 
show  us  the  estimate  f)laced  upon  the  Doctor's  services: 

"Kespected  Fathers  and  Brethren:  You,  in  your 
brotherly  kindness,  were  pleased  to  address  a  letter  to  us, 
your  brethren  and  friends  in  America,  expressing  your  dif- 
ficulties and  desires  concerning  our  beloved  brother  Dr. 
Coke,  that  he  might  return  to  Europe  to  heal  the  breach 
which  designing  men  have  been  making  among  you,  or  pre- 
vent its  threatened  overthrow.  We  have  but  one  grand 
responsive  body,  which  is  our  General  Conference,  and  it 
was  in  and  to  this  body  the  Doctor  entered  his  obligations 
to  serve  his  brethren  in  America.  No  yearly  Conference, 
no  official  character,  dare  assume  to  answer  for  that  grand 
federal  body. 

"  By  the  advice  of  the  yearly  Conference,  now  sitting  in 
Virginia,  and  the  respect  I  bear  to  you,  I  write  to  inform 
you  that  in  our  own  persons  and  order  we  consent  to  his 
return  and  'partial  continuance  with  you,  and  earnestly  pray 
that  you  may  have  much  peace,  union,  and  happiness  to- 
gether.    May  you  find  that  your  divisions  end  in  a  greater 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  153 

union,  order,  and  harmony  of  the  body,  so  that  the  threat- 
ened cloud  may  blow  over,  and  your  divisive  party  may  be 
of  as  little  consequence  to  you  as  ours  is  to  us " 

Acting  upon  this  consent  of  his  brethren,  Coke  returned 
at  once  to  Great  Britain,  where  his  labors  and  influence 
met,  in  their  results,  the  high  expectations  of  his  brethren. 
He  was  the  embodiment  of  the  spirit  of  missions  in  the 
British  Conference,  laying  extensive  plans  for  promoting 
the  cause,  and  traveling  from  house  to  house  soliciting  sub- 
scriptions to  carry  on  the  work.  During  the  Irish  rebellion 
in  1798  he  was  of  great  service  in  successfully  shielding  the 
Methodist  preachers  there  from  all  blame. 

At  the  General  Conference  for  1800  he  appeared  before 
his  American  brethren  to  fulfill  his  engagement  or  be  re- 
leased. That  body,  after  deliberating  upon  the  letter  from 
the  British  Conference  requesting  his  return,  passed  the  fol- 
lowing resolution : 

"  That  in  compliance  with  the  address  of  the  British  Con- 
ference to  let  Dr.  Coke  return  to  Europe,  this  General  Con- 
ference consent  to  his  return,  upon  condition  that  he  come 
back  to  America  as  soon  as  his  business  will  allow,  but  cer- 
tainly by  the  next  General  Conference." 

The  permission  granted  in  the  above  resolution  was  re- 
newed at  the  General  Conference  of  1804,  when  Coke  ap- 
peared with  a  similar  request  from  the  British  Conference; 
and  in  1808  he  was  granted  an  indefinite  leave  of  absence, 
subject  to  recall  when  needed. 

The  two  great  objects  which  Coke  had  in  view  in  Amer- 
ica were  the  abolition  of  slavery  and  the  establishment  of 
the  ill-fated  Cokesbury  College.  The  latter  enterprise  had  a 
history  which  deserves  a  passing  notice  in  this  sketch.  The 
first  subscribers  to  the  project  were  "  Gabriel  Long  and  Broth- 
er Bustion,"  of  Halifax  county.  North  Carolina.     About 


154  The  Pioneer.:  of  MeUwdism 

five  thousand  dollars  was  raised.  A  beautiful  situation  in 
the  town  of  Abingdon,  about  twent)r-five  miles  from  Balti- 
more, was  obtained,  and  the  building  was  commenced.  All 
went  well  for  ten  years,  when  it  was  consumed  by  fire.  Un- 
dismayed by  this  misfortune,  the  energetic  Coke  went  to 
work  again,  bought  a  large  building  in  Baltimore  for  twen- 
ty-two thousand  dollars,  and  "Cokesbury  College"  was  re- 
opened with  fairer  prospects  than  ever;  but  a  similar  fate 
awaited  it.  Through  the  carelessness  of  some  of  the  boys,  it 
too  was  consumed  by  fire;  and  the  cause  of  education  was  for 
several  years  almost  abandoned  in  despair  by  the  Church. 

In  1805  he  married  a  very  wealthy  lady,  who,  possessed 
of  a  kindred  spirit,  laid  her  fortune  upon  the  missionary 
altar,  and  enabled  Coke  to  carry  out  many  of  the  plans  he 
had  projected.     He  survived  her  about  three  years. 

Shortly  after  his  marriage,  he  made  a  proposition  to  his 
American  brethren  to  come  over  and  make  America  his 
permanent  home,  provided  the  Continent  be  divided  as 
nearly  as  possible  between  himself  and  Bishop  Asbury. 
This  proposition,  the  acceptance  of  which  would  have  been 
a  sad  step  toward  diocesan  episcopacy,  was  respectfully  de- 
clined. 

We  cannot  pass  over  Dr.  Coke's  career  in  America  with- 
out noticing  the  proposition  that  he  made  to  Bishop  White 
in  1791,  in  regard  to  the  union  of  the  Methodist  with  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  Church.  So  much  has  been  argued 
from  and  written  about  his  celebrated  confidential  letter  to 
Bishop  White  that  we  give  the  whole  correspondence. 

It  has  been  charged  that  Dr.  Coke  sought  reordination 
at  the  hands  of  Bishop  White.  This,  the  reader  will  ob- 
serve, he  denies.  The  whole  truth  of  the  matter  seems  to 
be  that  Dr.  Coke,  on  the  withdrawal  of  James  O'Kelly  and 
his  party,  feared  the  dismemberment  of  the  whole  j\lethod- 
ist  Church,  and  thought  that  a  union  with  the  Protestant 


In  North  Carolina  and   Virginia.  155 

Episcopal  Church  was  the  greatest  end  that  could  be  de- 
sired. It  seems  that  he  was  iciUing  to  submit  to  rcordina- 
tion  if  that  proved  to  be  the  ouly  means  of  bringing  about 
the  desired  end ;  but  he  declared  himself  to  have  ever  been 
perfectly  satisfied  with  the  validity  of  his  ordination.  We 
give  below  his  letter  to  Bishop  White : 

"  Right  Rev.  Sir  :  Permit  me  to  intrude  a  little  on  your 
time  ujDon  a  subject  of  great  importance.  You,  I  believe, 
are  conscious  that  I  was  brought  up  in  the  Church  of  En- 
gland, and  have  been  ordained  a  presbyter  of  that  Church. 
For  many  years  I  was  prejudiced,  even,  I  think,  to  bigotry, 
in  favor  of  it;  but  through  a  variety  of  causes  and  inci- 
dents, to  mention  which  would  be  tedious  and  useless,  my 
miud  was  exceedingly  biased  on  the  other  side  of  the  ques- 
tion. In  consequence  of  this,  I  am  not  sure  but  I  went 
farther  in  the  separation  of  our  Church  in  America  than 
Mr.  Wesley,  from  whom  I  had  received  my  commission, 
did  intend.  He  did,  indeed,  solemnly  invest  me,  as  far  as 
he  had  a  right  so  to  do,  with  episcopal  authority,  but  did 
not  intend,  I  think,  that  an  entire  separation  should  take 
place.  He,  being  pressed  by  our  friends  on  this  side  of 
the  water  for  ministers  to  administer  the  sacraments  to 
them  (there  being  very  few  of  the  clergy  of  the  Church 
of  England  then  in  the  States),  went  farther,  I  am  sure, 
than  he  would  have  gone  if  he  had  foreseen  some  events 
•which  followed.  And  this  I  am  certain  of — that  he  is  now 
sorry  for  the  separation. 

"But  what  can  be  done  for  a  reunion,  which  I  much 
wish  for,  and  to  accomplish  which  Mr.  Wesley,  I  have  no 
doubt,  would  use  his  influence  to  the  utmost?  The  affec- 
tion of  a  very  considerable  number  of  the  preachers  and 
most  of  the  people  is  very  strong  toward  him,  notwithstand- 
ing the  excessive  ill  usage  he  received  from  a  few.     My  in- 


156  TJie  Pioneers  of  Method  km 

terest  also  is  not  small.  Both  his  and  mine  would  readily 
and  to  the  utmost  be  used  to  accomplish  that  (to  us)  very- 
desirable  object,  if  a  readiness  were  shown  by  the  bishops 
of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  to  unite. 

"  It  is  even  to  your  Church  an  object  of  great  importance. 
We  have  now  above  sixty  thousand  adults  in  our  society  in 
these  States,  and  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  traveling  min- 
isters and  preachers ;  besides  a  great  number  of  local  preach- 
ers, very  far  exceeding  the  number  of  traveling  preachers; 
and  some  of  these  local  preachers  are  men  of  very  consider- 
able abilities.  But  if  we  number  the  Methodists  as  most 
people  number  the  members  of  their  Church — viz.,  by  the 
families  which  constantly  attend  the  divine  ordinances  in 
their  places  of  worship — they  will  make  a  larger  body 
than  you  probably  conceive.  The  society,  I  believe,  may 
be  safely  multiplied  by  five  on  an  average  to  give  us  our 
stated  congregations,  which  will  then  amount  to  three  hun- 
dred thousand.  And  if  the  calculation  which,  I  think,  some 
eminent  writers  have  made  be  just,  three-fifths  of  mankind 
are  un-adult  (if  I  may  use  the  expression)  at  any  given 
period,  it  will  follow  that  all  the  families  the  adults  of 
which  form  our  societies  in  these  States  amount  to  seven 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand.  About  one-fifth  of  these  are 
blacks. 

"  The  work  now  extends  in  length  from  Boston  to  the  south 
of  Georgia,  and  in  breadth  from  the  Atlantic  to  Lake  Cham- 
plain,  Vermont,  Albany,  Red  Stone,  Holstein,  Kentucky, 
Cumberland,  etc. 

"  But  there  are  many  hinderances  in  the  way.  Can  they 
be  removed? 

"1.  Our  ordained  ministers  will  not,  ought  not  to  give 
up  their  right  of  administering  the  sacraments.  I  do  not 
think  that  the  generality  of  them — perhaps  none  of  them 
— would  refuse  to  submit  to  reordination,  if  other  hinder- 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  157 

ances  were  removed  out  of  the  way.  I  must  here  observe 
that  between  sixty  and  seventy  only  of  the  two  hundred 
and  fifty  have  been  ordained  presbyters,  and  about  sixty 
deacons  (only).  The  presbyters  are  the  choicest  of  the 
whole. 

"  The  other  preachers  would  hardly  submit  to  a  reunion 
if  the  possibility  of  their  rising  up  to  ordination  depended 
on  the  present  bishops  in  America,  because,  though  they 
are  all,  I  think  I  may  say,  zealous,  pious,  and  very  useful 
men,  yet  they  are  not  acquainted  with  the  learned  languages. 
Besides  they  would  argue,  If  the  present  bishops  would  waive 
the  article  of  the  learned  languages,  yet  their  successors  might 
not. 

"My  desire  of  a  reunion  is  so  sincere  and  earnest  that 
these  difficulties  almost  make  me  tremble;  and  yet  some- 
thing must  be  done  before  the  death  of  Mr.  Weslev,  oth- 
erwise  I  shall  despair  of  success;  for  though  my  influence 
among  the  Methodists  in  these  States,  as  well  as  in  Europe, 
is,  I  doubt  not,  increasing,  yet  Mr.  Asbury,  whose  influence 
is  very  capital,  will  not  easily  comply ;  nay,  I  know  he  will 
be  exceedingly  averse  to  it. 

"In  Europe,  where  some  steps  had  been  taken  tending 
to  a  separation,  all  is  at  an  end.  Mr.  Wesley  is  a  deter- 
mined enemy  of  it,  and  I  have  lately  borne  an  open  and 
successful  testimony  against  it. 

"Shall  I  be  favored  with  a  private  interview  with  you 
in  Philadelphia?  I  shall  be  there,  God  willing,  on  Tues- 
day, the  17th  of  May.  If  this  be  agreeable,  I  will  beg  of 
you  just  to  signify  it  in  a  note,  directed  to  me  at  Mr.  Ja- 
cob Baker's,  merchant,  Market  street,  Philadelphia;  or,  if 
you  please,  by  a  few  lines  sent  me  by  the  return  of  the 
post,  at  Philip  Kogers's,  Esq.,  in  Baltimore,  from  yourself 
or  Dr.  Magaw,  and  I  will  wait  upon  you  with  my  friend 
Dr.  Magaw.     We  can  then  enlarge  on  these  subjects. 


158  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

"  I  am  conscious  of  it  that  secrecy  is  of  great  importance 
in  the  present  state  of  the  business,  till  the  minds  of  you, 
your  brother  bishops,  and  Mr.  Wesley  be  circumstantially 
known.  I  must  therefore  beg  that  these  things  be  confined 
to  yourself  and  Dr.  Magaw  till  I  have  the  honor  of  seeing 
you.  Thus,  you  see,  I  have  made  a  bold  venture  on  your 
honor  and  candor,  and  have  opened  my  whole  heart  to  you 
on  the  subject,  as  far  as  the  extent  of  a  small  letter  will 
allow  me.  If  you  put  equal  confidence  in  me,  you  will  find 
me  candid  and  faithful.  I  have  notwithstanding  been  guilty 
of  inadvertences.  Very  lately  I  found  myself  obliged  (for 
the  pacifying  of  my  conscience)  to  write  a  penitential  letter 
to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Jarratt,  which  gave  him  great  satisfaction ; 
and  for  the  same  reason,  I  must  write  another  to  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Pettigrew.  When  I  was  last  in  America,  I  prepared 
and  corrected  a  great  many  things  for  our  magazines — in- 
deed, almost  every  thing  that  was  printed,  except  some  loose 
notes  which  I  had  taken  of  one  of  my  journeys,  and  Avhich 
I  left  in  my  hurry  with  Mr.  Asbury,  without  any  correc- 
tion, entreating  that  no  part  of  them  might  be  printed 
which  would  be  improper  or  offensive.  But  through  great 
inadvertency  (I  suppose),  he  suffered  some  reflections  on  the 
characters  of  the  two  above-mentioned  gentlemen  to  be  in- 
serted in  the  magazine,  for  which  I  am  very  sorry;  and 
probably  shall  not  rest  till  I  have  made  my  acknowledg- 
ment more  public,  though  Mr.  Jarratt  does  not  desire  it. 

"I  am  not  sure  whether  I  have  not  offended  you,  sir,  by 
accepting  of  one  of  the  offers  made  me  by  you  and .  Dr. 
Magaw,  of  the  use  of  your  churches  about  six  years  ago, 
on  my  first  visit  to  Philadelphia,  without  informing  you  of 
our  plan  of  separation  from  the  Church  of  England.  If  I 
did  offend  (as  I  doubt  I  did,  especially  from  what  you  said 
on  the  subject  to  Mr.  Richard  Dellam,  of  Abingdon),  I 
sincerely   beg    your    and    Dr.    Magaw's   pardon.      I  will 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  159 

endeavor  to  amend.  But  alas!  I  am  a  frail,  weak  creat- 
ure. 

"  I  will  intrude  no  longer  at  present.  One  thing  only  I 
Avill  claim  from  your  candor — that  if  you  have  no  thoughts 
of  improving  this  proposal,  you  will  burn  this  letter,  and 
take  no  more  notice  of  it,  for  it  would  be  a  pity  to  have  us 
entirely  alienated  from  each  other  if  we  cannot  unite  in  the 
manner  my  ardent  wishes  desire.  But  if  you  will  further 
negotiate  the  business,  I  will  explain  my  mind  still  more 
fully  to  you  on  the  probabilities  of  success. 

"  In  the  meantime  permit  me,  with  great  respect,  to  sub- 
scribe myself,  right  reverend  sir,  your  very  humble  servant 
in  Christ,  Thomas  Coke. 

"Richmond,  Va.,  April  24,  1791. 

"  The  Right  Rev.  Father  in  God,  Bishop  White." 

Bishop  White's  answer  reads : 

"Dear  Sir:  My  friend  Dr.  Magaw  has  this  day  put  into 
my  hands  your  letter  of  the  24th  of  April,  which  I  trust  I 
received  with  a  sense  of  the  importance  of  the  subject,  and 
of  the  answer  I  am  to  give  to  God  for  the  improvement  of 
every  opportunity  of  building  up  his  Church.  Accordingly, 
I  cannot  but  make  choice  of  the  earliest  of  the  two  ways  you 
point  out  to  inform  you  that  I  shall  be  very  happy  in  the 
opportunity  of  conversing  with  you  at  the  time  proposed. 

"You  mention  two  difficulties  in  the  way  of  the  proposed 
union ;  and  there  are  further  difficulties  which  suggest  them- 
selves to  my  mind.  But  I  can  say  of  the  one  and  of  the  oth- 
er that  I  do  not  think  them  insuperable,  provided  there  be 
a  conciliatory  disposition  on  both  sides.  So  far  as  I  am  con- 
cerned, I  think  that  such  a  disposition  exists. 

"  It  has  not  been  my  temper,  sir,  to  despond  in  regard  to 
the  extension  of  Christianity  in  this  new  world ;  and  in  ad- 
dition to  the  promises  of  the  great  Head  of  the  Church,  I 
have  always  imagined  that  I  perceived  the  train  of  second 


1G0  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

causes  so  laid  by  the  good  providence  of  God  as  to  be  pro- 
moting what  we  feel  to  be  his  will  in  this  respect.  On  the 
other  hand,  I  feel  the  weight  of  most  powerful  discourage- 
ments in  the  increasing  number  of  the  avowed  patrons  of 
infidelity,  and  of  others  who  pretend  to  confess  the  divine 
authority  of  our  holy  religion  while  they  endeavor  to  strip 
it  of  its  characteristic  doctrines.  In  this  situation  it  is  rath- 
er to  be  expected  that  distinct  Churches,  agreeing  in  funda- 
mentals, should  make  mutual  sacrifices  for  a  union  than 
that  any  Church  should  divide  into  two  bodies,  without  a 
difference  being  even  alleged  to  exist  in  any  leading  point. 
For  the  preventing  of  this,  the  measure  which  you  may 
propose  cannot  fail  of  success,  unless  there  be  on  one  side  or 
on  both  a  most  lamentable  deficiency  of  Christian  temper. 

"I  remember  the  conversation  you  allude  to  with  Mr. 
Dellam.  I  hope  I  did  not  express  myself  uncharitably,  or 
even  indelicately.  As  to  personal  offense  toward  me,  it  is 
out  of  the  question,  for  I  had  not  at  that  time  any  connec- 
tion with  St.  Paul's  Church.  But  this,  as  well  as  the  other 
parts  of  your  letter,  may  be  discoursed  of  at  the  proposed 
interview.  Therefore,  with  assurance  of  the  desired  secre- 
cy, and  with  requesting  you  to  accept  a  like  promise  of  can- 
dor to  that  which  I  credit  from  you,  I  conclude  myself  at 
present, 

"  Your  brother  in  Christ,  and  very  humble  servant, 

"W.  W." 

This  correspondence,  as  will  be  seen,  was  regarded  by  both 
parties  as  strictly  confidential,  but  was,  in  the  summer  of 
1804,  communicated  by  Bishop  White  to  one  preacher  in  the 
Protestant  Episcopal,  and  to  one  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  in  answer,  according  to  his  version,  to  their  inquiries. 
"  The  matter  being  variously  reported,"  says  he,  "  a  copy  of  the 
letter  was,  after  some  lapse  of  time,  delivered  to  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Kemp,  of  Maryland,  and  at  last  published  in  a  controversy 


///  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  101 

raised  in  the  diocese."  On  the  publication  of  this  letter,  a 
storm  of  indignation,  on  the  part  of  the  American  Methodists, 
was  excited  against  Dr.  Coke,  and  an  explanation  was  de- 
manded. Below  we  give  all  that  part  of  his  letter  to  the 
General  Conference  of  1808  which  refers  to  the  matter: 

"Near  Leeds  (Yorkshire),  Jan.  29,  1808. 
"To  the  General  American  Conference. 

"  My  Very  Dear  Brethren  : I  find  that  a 

letter  which  I  wrote  to  Bishop  White  in  1791  has  been  ani- 
madverted moon,  though,  if  I  mistake  not,  the  letter  itself 
has  not  yet  been  published. 

"There  are  very  few  of  you  who  can  possibly  recollect 
any  thing  of  what  I  am  next  going  to  add.  Many  of  you 
were  then  only  little  children.  We  had  at  that  time  no 
regular  General  Conferences.  One  only  had  been  held  in 
the  year  1784.  I  had,  indeed,  with  great  labor  and  fatigue, 
a  few  months  before  I  wrote  this  letter  to  Bishop  White, 
prevailed  on  James  O'Kelly,  and  the  thirty-six  traveling 
preachers  who  had  withdrawn  with  him  from  all  connection 
with  Bishop  Asbury,  to  submit  to  the  decision  of  a  General 
Conference.  This  Conference  was  to  be  held  in  about  a 
year  and  a  half  after  my  departure  from  the  States.  And 
at  this  Conference — held,  I  think,  the  latter  end  of  1792 — ■ 
I  proposed  and  obtained  that  great  blessing  to  the  American 
Connection — a  permanency  for  General  Conferences,  which 
were  to  be  held  at  stated  times.  Previously  to  the  holding 
of  this  Conference  (except  the  general  one  held  in  1784), 
there  were  only  small  district  meetings,  excepting  the  coun- 
cil which  was  held  at  Cokesbury  College,  either  in  1791  or 
1792.  Except  the  union  which  most  justly  subsisted  be- 
tween Bishop  Asbury  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  preachers 
and  people  on  the  other,  the-  Society,  as  such,  taken  as  an 
aggregate,  was  almost  like  a  rope  of  sand.  I  longed  to  see 
matters  on  a  footing  likely  to  be  permanent.  Bishop  As- 
11 


162  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

bury  did  the  same;  and  it  was  that  view  of  things,  I  doubt 
not,  which  led  Bishop  Asbury,  the  year  before,  to  call,  and 
to  endeavor  to  establish,  a  regular  council,  who  were  to 
meet  him  annually  at  Cokesbury.  In  this  point  I  differed 
in  sentiment  from  my  venerable  brother.  But  I  saw  the 
danger  of  our  situation,  though  I  well  knew  that  God  was 
sufficient  for  all  things.  I  did  verily  believe  then  that  un- 
der God  the  Connection  would  be  more  likely  to  be  saved 
from  convulsions  by  a  union  with  the  old  Episcopal  Church 
than  any  other  way — not  by  a  dereliction  of  ordination,  sac- 
raments, and  the  Methodist  discipline,  but  by  a  junction  on 
proper  terms.  Bishop  White,  in  two  interviews  I  had  with 
him  in  Philadelphia,  gave  me  reason  to  believe  that  this  junc- 
tion might  be  accomplished  with  ease.  Dr.  Magaw  was  per- 
fectly sure  of  it.  Indeed  (if  Mr.  Ogden,  of  New  Jersey,  did 
not  mistake  in  the  information  he  gave  me),  a  canon  passed 
the  House  of  Bishops  of  the  old  Episcopal  Church  in  favor. 
Bishop  Madison,  according  to  the  same  information,  took 
the  canon  to  the  lower  house,  '  but  it  was  there  thrown  out/ 
said  Mr.  Ogden — to  whom  I  explained  the  whole  business — 
'because  they  did  not  understand  the  full  meaning  of  it.' 
Mr.  Ogden  added  that  he  spoke  against  it  because  he  did 
not  understand  it;  but  that  it  would  have  met  with  his 
warm  support  had  he  understood  the  full  intention  of  it. 

"  I  had  provided  in  the  fullest  manner,  in  my  indispensa- 
bly necessary  conditions,  for  the  security,  and  I  may  say 
for  the  independence,  of  our  discipline  and  places  of  wor- 
ship. But  I  thought  (perhaps  erroneously,  and  I  believe  so 
now)  that  our  field  of  action  would  have  been  exceedingly 
enlarged  by  that  junction,  and  that  myriads  would  have  at- 
tended our  ministry  in  consequence  of  it  who  were  at  that 
time  prejudiced  against  us.  All  these  things  unitedly  con- 
sidered led  me  to  write  the  letter,  and  meet  Bishop  White 
and  Dr.  Magaw  in  Philadelphia. 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  163 

"  But  it  may  be  asked  why  did  I  not  consult  Bishop  As- 
bury  before  I  took  these  steps.  I  answer,  It  was  impossi- 
ble. I  was  at  and  near  Philadelphia,  and  he  was  some- 
where in  the  South.  We  had  finished  our  district  meetings, 
and  he  was  to  be  in  the  State  of  Maryland  about  the  time 
of  my  sailing  for  England.  I  wanted  that  every  thing 
should  be  prepared  against  my  return — God  willing — in 
about  a  year  and  a  half,  for  further  consideration;  that 
Bishop  White,  etc.,  should  have  time  to  consult  their  con- 
vention, and  that  I  might  also  lay  the  matter  before  Bishop 
Asbury,  and  correspond  with  him  on  the  subject,  and  after 
that,  if  j>roper,  bring  the  business  before  the  General  Con- 
ference, which  was  to  be  held  in  order  to  take  into  consid- 
eration James  O'Kelly's  division.  Before  I  sailed  for  En- 
gland, I  met  Bishop  Asbury,  at  N ew  Castle,  in  the  State  of 
Delaware  (from  which  place  I  went  on  board),  and  laid  the 
matter  before  him,  who,  wTith  that  caution  which  peculiarly 
characterized  him,  gave  me  no  decisive  opinion  on  the  subject. 

"  The  next  objection  (and  I  think  the  only  important  one 
remaining)  is  the  following :  '  If  you  did  not  think  that  the 
episcopal  ordination  of  Mr.  Asbury  was  valid,  why  did  you 
ordain  him?  Was  there  not  duplicity  in  this  business?'  I 
answer : 

"1.  I  never,  since  I  could  reason  on  those  things,  consid- 
ered the  doctrine  of"  the  uninterrupted  apostolic  succession  of 
bishops  as  at  all  valid  or  true. 

"  2.  I  am  of  our  late  venerable  father  Mr.  Wesley's  opin- 
ion— that  the  order  of  bishops  and  presbyters  is  one  and  the 
same. 

"  3.  I  believe  that  the  episcopal  form  of  Church-govern- 
ment is  the  best  in  the  world,  when  the  episcopal  power  is 
under  due  regulations  and  responsibility. 

"  4.  I  believe  that  it  is  well  to  follow  the  example  of  the 
primitive  Church  as  exemplified  in  the  word  of  God,  by 


164  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

setting  apart  persons  for  great  ministerial  purposes  by  th$ 
imposition  of  hands,  but  especially  those  who  are  appointed 
for  offices  of  the  first  rank  in  the  Church. 

"  From  all  I  have  advanced  you  may  easily  perceive,  my 
dear  brethren,  that  I  do  not  consider  the  imposition  of 
hands,  on  the  one  hand,  as  essentially  necessary  for  any  of- 
fice in  the  Church ;  nor  do  I,  on  the  other  hand,  think  that 
the  repetition  of  the  imposition  of  hands  for  the  same  office, 
when  important  circumstances  require  it,  is  at  all  improper. 

"If  it  be  granted  that  my  plan  ©f  union  with  the  old 
Episcopal  Church  was  desirable  (ivhich  now,  I  think,  was  not 
so,  though  I  most  sincerely  believed  it  to  be  so  at  that  time), 
then,  if  the  plan  could  not  have  been  accomplished  without 
a  repetition  of  the  imposition  of  hands  for  the  same  office, 
I  did  believe,  and  do  now  believe,  and  have  no  doubt,  that 
the  repetition  of  the  imposition  of  hands  would  have  been 
perfectly  justifiable  for  the  enlargement  of  the  field  of  ac- 
tion, etc.,  and  would  not,  by  any  means,  have  invalidated 
the  former  consecration  or  imposition  of  hands.  Therefore, 
I  have  no  doubt  but  my  consecration  of  Bishop  Asbury  was 
perfectly  valid,  and  would  have  been  so  even  if  he  had  been 
reconsecrated.  I  never  did  apply  to  the  general  conven- 
tion, or  any  other  convention,  for  reconsecration.  I  never 
intended  that  either  Bishop  Asbury  or  myself  should  give 
up  our  episcopal  office,  if  the  junction  were  to  take  place; 
but  I  should  have  had  no  scruple  then,  nor  should  I  now, 
if  the  junction  were  desirable,  to  have  submitted  to,  or  to  sub- 
mit to,  a  reimposition  of  hands  in  order  to  accomplish  a 
great  object;  but  I  do  say  again,  I  do  not  now  believe  such 
a  junction  desirable ; 

"And  now  I  conclude  with  assuring  you  that  I  greatly 
love  and  esteem  you ;  that  it  is  my  delight  to  pray  for  your 
prosperity;  and  that  I  am  your  very  affectionate  brother 
and  faithful  friend,  T.  Coke." 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  165 

This  letter  assured  his  American  brethren  of  the  purity 
of  his  intentions,  however  he  had  been  mistaken  in  his 
views;  and  resolutions  of  love  and  respect  for  him  were 
passed,  and  friendly  letters  to  him  and  to  the  British  Con- 
ference were  addressed  by  the  General  Conference. 

It  is  proper  to  note  here  the  fact  that  Dr.  Coke  did  what 
he  did  in  the  matter  without  consultation  with  any  one,  and 
no  one  was  responsible  for  it  but  himself.  He  declares — and 
the  whole  tenor  of  his  letter  supports  the  declaration — that 
it  was  not  reordination  he  was  seeking,  but  a  union  of  two 
Churches.  In  fact,  he  attaches  so  little  importance  to  the 
imposition  of  hands  in  the  consecration  of  a  bishop  that  he 
sees  no  impropriety  in  a  reimposition,  while  he  declares  him- 
self to  have  been  ever  satisfied  with  the  validity  of  his  own 
ordination.  He  does  not  speak  as  knowing  Mr.  Wesley's 
opinions,  and  what  he  says  about  his  (Mr.  Wesley's)  re- 
grets in  regard  to  the  matter  may  very  probably  have 
originated  in  a  misunderstanding  of  Mr.  Wesley's  views. 
What  Mr.  Wesley  wrote  to  Asbury  about  calling  himself 
a  bishop,  and  about  naming  Cokesbury  College  after  Coke 
and  himself,  may  have  led  him  to  think  so.  But  it  is  a 
matter  of  very  little  concern  to  American  Methodism 
whether  Coke  and  his  brethren  went  farther  in  the  organi- 
zation  of  a  new  Church  than  Mr.  Wesley  intended  or  not. 
The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  Avas  the  natural  outgrowth 
of  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  it  was  organized  not  by  Mr. 
Wesley,  but  by  the  votes  of  the  preachers  themselves — As- 
bury himself  declining  the  office  of  "superintendent"  on 
the  mere  appointment  of  Mr.  Wesley.  Recognizing,  then, 
no  "third  order"  in  the  ministry,  a  "superintendent"  and 
"bishop"  is  one  and  the  same,  and  we  need  give  ourselves 
very  little  concern  about  Mr.  Wesley's  right  to  ordain  Coke 
a  "superintendent,"  from  a  High- church  point  of  view. 
The  publication  of  the  confidential  letter,  which,  as  Dr.  L. 


166  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

M.  Lee  observes,  has  been  the  occasion  of  much  "  uncircum- 
cised  rejoicing"  in  some  quarters,  has,  we  believe,  never  been 
satisfactorily  explained  by  the  friends  of  Bishop  White. 

We  have  spoken  of  Coke's  missionary  zeal.  It  was  the 
absorbing  passion  of  his  life;  and  the  impetus  which  he 
gave  to  the  cause  can  never  be  fully  known  until  the  end 
of  time.  In  his  efforts  to  promote  the  spread  of  the  gospel, 
he  sometimes  found  himself  in  embarrassing  positions,  as 
the  following  incident  will  show : 

In  1786  he  started  with  the  other  missionaries  for  Nova 
Scotia.  They  had  a  tempestuous  season.  The  vessel  was 
nearly  wrecked,  and  still  the  stormy  weather  continued. 
The  captain,  a  very  suj:>erstitious  man,  became  at  last 
convinced  that  the  trouble  all  originated  from  his  having 
a  set  of  preaching  and  praying  Methodists  on  board,  and 
would  walk  the  deck,  exclaiming,  "  There  is  a  Jonah  on 
board — a  Jonah  on  board!"  Infuriated  with  passion,  he 
rushed  to  Coke's  state-room,  and  threw  his  books  and  man- 
uscripts overboard.  He  then  seized  the  little  Doctor,  and 
informed  him,  in  uncivil  tones  and  ungentle  looks,  that  if 
he  did  not  cease  to  pray  on  board,  he  should  follow  his 
books  and  papers. 

The  closing  scene  of  Coke's  life  was  in  beautiful  harmony 
with  his  whole  career.  In  1813  he  asked  leave  of  the  Brit- 
ish Conference  to  initiate  a  mission  to  India.  His  prop- 
osition met  with  great  opposition,  but  when  he  offered  to 
defray  the  expense  of  the  expedition  to  the  extent  of  six 
thousand  pounds,  they  gave  their  consent,  and  authorized 
him  to  undertake  a  mission  to  Ceylon  and  Java,  and  al- 
lowed him  to  take  six  missionaries  with  him. 

They  set  sail  January  2,  1814,  and  rounded  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,  in  safety,  April  20.  On  the  first  of  May  Coke 
complained  of  slight  indisposition.  On  the  morning  of  the 
3d  he  was  found  cold  and  stiff  on  his  cabin  floor.     He  had 


Li  XoHh   Carolina  and    Virginia.  167 

died  of  apoplexy.  His  remains  were  committed,  with  sol- 
emn service,  to  the  deep.  His  last  voyage  was  ended,  his 
work  was  done,  but  his  death  gave  a  new  impetus  to  the 
missionary  zeal  of  the  Church,  and  his  influence  is  still 
felt  in  the  grand  movements  of  this  age  to  lead  the  whole 
world  to  a  knowledge  of  "  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus." 

The  New  York  Conference  was  in  session  when  the  news 
of  Coke's  death  reached  this  country.  Bishop  Asbury,  by 
request  of  that  body,  preached  his  funeral  discourse.  He 
afterward  wrote  of  him  in  his  journal:  "As  a  minister  of 
Christ,  in  zeal,  in  labors,  and  in  services,  the  greatest  man 
of  the  last  century." 

It  seems  eminently  proper  that  the  grand  old  missionary, 
whose  whole  unselfish  life  had  been  spent  in  one  ceaseless, 
untiring  effort  to  exalt  humanity  wherever  found,  should 
find  a  grave  at  last  in  the  sea — its  restless,  rolling  waters 
symbolizing  the  stirring,  moving  spirit  of  missions,  and  its 
waves  laving  the  shores  of  all  lands. 


DANIEL  ASBURY. 

"TTTE  will  lose  a  measure  of  our  astonishment  at  the  pri- 
V  V  vations  and  hardships  so  cheerfully  endured  by  the 
pioneers  of  Methodism  in  America  when  we  consider  the  sym- 
pathy for  their  fellow-men  which  prompted  them  to  endeavor 
to  elevate  their  condition.  When  Mr.  Wesley  wanted  Dr. 
Coke  to  undertake  a  mission  to  Nova  Scotia,  the  latter  de- 
murred, saying  that  he  did  not  think  he  would  like  the 
people.  "  You  do  n't  like  them,"  replied  Wesley,  "  because 
you  don't  know  them.  When  you  know  them,  you  will 
become  interested  in  them."  Many  a  preacher  on  a  mis- 
sion-field to-day  has  become  so  interested  in  the  people  of 
his  charge  as  not  only  to  be  willing  to  adapt  himself  to  their 
habits  of  life,  but  really  to  prefer  it  to  what  others  might 


168  Tlie  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

consider  a  better  appointment.  So  with  the  pioneers.  As 
they  learned  to  love  the  people,  they  cheerfully  adapted 
themselves  to  the  surrounding  circumstances,  and  were  con- 
tent to  live  as  their  parishioners  lived,  that  they  might  be 
<  if  service  to  them.  Some  of  the  most  successful  of  the  preach- 
ers, however,  had  been  prepared  for  rough  exjxjriences  by 
hardships  endured  in  their  youth. 

Among  this  more  fortunate  class  was  Daniel  Asbury,  whose 
name  deserves  no  mean  place  on  the  roll  of  the  heroes  of 
Methodism  in  the  South.  Perhaps  no  character  in  all  the 
noble  band  of  daring  spirits  who  composed  the  "  Thunder- 
ing Legion"  was  a  better  embodiment  of  the  spirit  of  the 
movement ;  and  perhaps  none  did  more  of  strictly  pioneer 
work  than  he.  He  was  one  of  the  first  to  penetrate  the 
wilds  of  Western  North  Carolina,  and  sow  the  seeds  that 
have  sprung  up  and  produced  abundant  harvests  since; 
and  in  South  Carolina  and  Georgia  his  labors  were  so 
abundant  and  successful  that  their  results  can  never  be 
estimated  until  the  day  of  final  reckoning  at  the  end  of 
time.  He  was  an  earnest,  bold  preacher;  ever  ready  for 
the  work;  never  dismayed  by  hardships  to  be  endured  in 
the  way  of  success;  a  man  of  strong  native  intellect;  but 
limited  education,  and  yet  a  clear,  forcible,  successful  ex- 
pounder of  the  word  God.  Like  most  of  his  contempora- 
ries in  the  traveling  connection,  he  was  a  "  man  of  one  book; " 
and,  unlike  some  who  have  succeeded  him,  he  preached  not 
poetry  nor  philosophy,  but  Christ  crucified  as  revealed  in 
that  book.  With  a  deep  and  rich  religious  experience; 
by  a  constant  study  of  the  revealed  will  of  God,  aided  by 
the  enlightening  agency  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  by  a  close  walk 
with  God  and  constant  communion  with  him — he  became  a 
man  of  power,  and  was  owned  of  his  Master  in  becoming 
the  agent  in  leading  to  Christ  hundreds  of  souls  who  in  the 
last  day  will  rise  up  and  call  him  blessed. 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  169 

He  was  born  in  Fairfax  county,  Virginia,  Feb.  18,  1762. 
We  are  told  that  his  parents  differed  in  their  opinions  as 
touching  the  doctrines  of  Christianity,  and  as  a  consequence 
their  son  grew  up  with  little  religious  instruction.  When 
about  twelve  years  of  age,  he  tells  us,  he  became  much  con- 
cerned about  his  soul's  safety.  But  alas!  there  was  no  one 
to  encourage  or  instruct  him.  He  wandered  for  awhile  in 
serious  concern;  but  with  no  one  to  lead  him  to  Jesus,  he 
soon  banished  his  fears  by  relapsing  into  his  former  course 
of  thoughtless  folly.  A  friendly  voice  at  that  critical  mo- 
ment might  have  encouraged  him  to  press  forward  until  lie 
should  have  emerged  out  of  darkness  into  light;  a  friendly 
hand  might  have  led  him  to  the  foot  of  the  cross  to  lay  his 
burden  of  guilt  upon  Him  who  has  promised  to  bear  it,  and 
to  rejoice  in  the  fullness  of  a  Father's  love;  but  that  voice 
and  hand  denied  him,  he  fell  again  into  a  life  of  sin. 

When  about  sixteen  years  of  age,  having  gone  to  Ken- 
tucky, he  was  captured  by  a  band  of  Shawnee  Indians  and 
taken  to  the  far  West.  He  was  adopted  and  kindly  treated 
by  his  captors,  but  endured  many  hardships  before  he  be- 
came accustomed  to  savage  life.  And  many  a  lonely  hour 
did  he  spend  in  vainly  regretting  his  captivity,  and  in  long- 
ing to  see  again  the  familiar  faces  and  scenes  of  his  youth. 
Finally  he  was  taken  over  into  Canada,  and,  as  the  Revolu- 
tionary War  was  then  raging,  he  was  taken  prisoner  by  the 
British,  confined  in  irons,  and  imprisoned  at  Detroit.  There 
he  endured  many  hardships,  but  finally  made  his  escape,  and 
after  a  long,  toilsome,  and  dangerous  journey,  reached  his 
father's  home  in  Virginia,  having  spent  five  weary  years 
in  captivity.  On  reaching  the  home  of  his  childhood,  it  is 
said  that  he  passed  himself  at  first  for  a  stranger,  and  his 
mother  did  not  recognize  him.  When  he  made  himself 
known  to  her  as  her  long -lost  son,  her  joy  can  be  better 
imagined  than  described. 


170  The  Piom  >  rs  of  Methodism 

While  in  his  captivity,  he  had  learned  many  lessons  that 
■were  to  be  of  service  to  him  in  the  work  that  God  had  for 
him  to  do  a  little  later.  All  religious  concern  had  been 
banished  from  his  mind,  and  he  was  now  a  hardened  sin- 
ner. By  this  time  the  Methodist  pioneers  had  penetrated 
the  neighborhood  of  his  father's  home,  and  under  their 
preaching  he  "came  to  himself"  —  saw  himself  at  last  a 
helpless,  undone  rebel,  "without  God,  and  without  hope  in 
the  world! "  "  The  great  deep  of  his  heart  was  broken  up," 
say  his  brethren,  "  and  he  began  to  bewail  his  wretched  case 
and  cry  to  God  for  mercy."  But  he  had  many  sore  conflicts 
with  the  tempter,  and  walked  for  some  time  in  the  shadow 
of  despair  before  he  was  enabled  to  rejoice  with  "joy  un- 
speakable and  full  of  glory."  Then  it  was  the  old  story. 
Rejoicing  in  the  fullness  and  freeness  of  the  grace  of  God 
that  had  been  extended  to  the  chief  of  sinners — as  he  had 
learned  to  regard  himself — he  united  with  the  Methodists, 
whom  he  had  before  disliked,  and  soon  began  to  exhort  in 
public. 

We  can  imagine  how  his  heart  glowed  as  he  told  the  story 
of  his  wild,  sinful  youth,  and  the  dangers  and  hardships  of 
his  captivity;  how  the  providence  of  God  had  preserved 
him  all  along;  and  how,  after  long  wanderings  and  rebell- 
ions, he  saw  himself  an  outcast  sinner,  and  looked  to  Jesus 
for  salvation;  and  how  he  heard  his  cry,  and  raised  him 
from  his  despair,  and  hid  him  in  his  pavilion,  and  put  a 
new  song  in  his  mouth,  even  praise  unto  God.  Those  of  us 
who  have  heard  just  such  narratives  in  public  meetings,  and 
witnessed  their  thrilling,  melting  effects  upon  the  audience, 
will  not  wonder  that  Asbury's  simple  story  fell  upon  the 
ears  of  his  hearers  as  bubbling  water  from  a  full  fountain, 
and  that,  as  his  brethren  say,  "his  labors  were  not  in  vain," 
and  "  he  was  encouraged  to  extend  his  efforts." 

In  1786  he  was  received  into  the  traveling  connection,  and 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  171 

appointed  to  Amelia  Circuit  in  Virginia.  He  did  not  bring 
into  the  ministry  any  extraordinary  abilities  to  entitle  him 
to  the  distinction  of  a  great  preacher,  but  he  brought  a  con- 
secrated heart,  a  rich  and  deep  religious  experience,  a  nev- 
er-wavering faith  in  God,  a  burning  desire  to  promote  his 
glory,  a  meek,  submissive  spirit — patient  under  suffering, 
and  a  courage  that  was  alike  ready  to  brave  danger  and  to 
"endure  hardness."  His  fields  of  labor  were  as  follows: 
1786,  Amelia;  1787,  Halifax;  1788,  Holstein;  1789,  Yad- 
kin— after  three  months,  Lincoln  and  Catawba  counties, 
where  he  formed  a  newT  circuit;  1780,  Lincoln.  He  then 
retained  a  local  relation  for  several  years.  In  1800  he  was 
readmitted,  and  appointed  to  Union  Circuit :  1801-2,  Yadkin ; 
1803,  Union;  1804,  Enoee;  1805,  chiefly  at  home;  1806-10, 
presiding  elder  of  Savannah  District;  1810-14,  Camden 
District;  1814-18,  Catawba  District;  1818-22,  Broad  River 
District;  1822-3,  Lincoln  Circuit;  1824,  Sugar  Creek  Circuit. 
During  the  first  two  years,  he  traveled  fields  that  had 
been  surveyed  before,  and  followed  upon  the  foot-prints  of 
such  men  as  Garrettson,  Gatch,  Easter,  Dromgoole,  Dick- 
ens, and  Ellis.  Whatever  inconveniences  he  may  have 
suffered,  quite  another  sort  of  work  awaited  him  along  the 
banks  of  the  French  Broad,  where  he  was  sent  the  next 
year  as  a  missionary.  On  this  "  frontier"  field  there  wTas  a 
rude,  half  savage  population  scattered  here  and  there  along 
the  banks  of  the  river  and  in  the  caves  of  the  mountains. 
Many  of  them  were  "roughs"  who  had  fled  from  civilized 
society  to  escape  the  punishments  incurred  by  crimes,  and 
had,  therefore,  but<  little  sympathy  for  a  messenger  of  the 
gospel  of  peace.  Again,  now  and  then,  he  could  but  expect 
to  meet  the  wily  Indian  who  lurked  in  the  mountain  fast- 
nesses to  take  the  life  of  his  hated  white  enemy  and  oppress- 
or. But  with  a  firm  reliance  on  God,  with  the  happy  con- 
sciousness that  the  divine  hand  was  upon  him,  Asbury  went 


172  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

to  this  field  with  as  light  a  heart  and  with  as  elear  views  of 
special  providence  as  the  preacher  goes  to-day  to  Centenary, 
Richmond,  or  to  Front  Street,  Wilmington.  The  stories  of 
his  adventures  and  hardships  seem  hardly  credible  to  us, 
living  as  we  do  in  a  brighter  and  better  day,  yet  we  are  told : 
"  He  was  often  forced  to  subsist  solely  on  cucumbers,  or  a 
piece  of  cold  bread,  without  the  luxury  of  a  bowl  of  milk 
or  a  cup  of  coffee.  His  ordinary  diet  was  fried  bacon  and 
corn-bread;  his  bed  not  the  swinging  hammock,  but  the 
clapboard  laid  on  poles  supported  by  rude  forks  driven  into 
the  earthen  floor  of  a  log-cabin.  A  safe  guide  was  necessa- 
ry to  direct  his  devious  footsteps  from  settlement  to  settle- 
ment through  the  deep  forest,  and  a  trusty  body-guard  to 
protect  his  life  from  the  deadly  assault  of  the  lurking  In- 
dians." And  here,  amid  these  scenes  of  toil  and  danger,  he 
thought  of  heaven  and  preached  of  heaven  as  a  place  of 
rest  and  safety.  The  solitudes  of  the  mountains  were  dis- 
turbed and  made  to  echo  the  sound  of  his  songs,  his  exhor- 
tations, and  his  prayers,  and  many  a  guilty  wretch  was 
constrained  to  go  for  cleansing  to  the  "  fountain  filled  with 
blood."  Way  was  opened  for  other  preachers  to  follow,  and 
after  the  lapse  of  nearly  a  century  the  fruits  of- his  labors 
are  manifest  in  that  beautiful  "Land  of  the  sky." 

The  next  year,  after  three  months'  labor  on  the  Yadkin 
Circuit,  we  find  him  pioneering  the  way  into  Lincoln  and 
Catawba  counties,  and  forming  "Lincoln  Circuit,"  Here 
he  found  a  settlement  of  Methodists  who  had  removed  from 
"  Old  Brunswick  "  in  Virginia.  His  heart  was  made  glad 
at  meeting  with  some  who  had  rejoiced  under  the  preach- 
ing of  John  Easter  and  Hope  Hull,  and  there  went  up  a 
shout  in  the  camp  occasionally  that  would  perhaps  remind 
him  of  the  old  circuit-paths  of  Robert  Williams  and  George 
Shadford. 

But  he  was  not  allowed  to  pursue  his  course  without  mo- 


///  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  173 

lestation.  Ruffian  mobs  threatened  his  life,  sectarian  hate 
rose  up  against  him ;  but  the  man  who  had  spent  five  years 
in  the  wild,  exciting  life  of  the  far  West,  and  who  had  trav- 
eled through  the  mountain  passes,  as  he  had  done  the  year 
before,  was  not  the  man  to  be  intimidated  by  such  opposi- 
tion. We  quote  an  instance  of  this  persecution  from  Dr. 
Shipp's  "  History  of  Methodism  in  South  Carolina."  The 
affair  occurred  in  Rutherford  county,  in  1789:  "A  ruffian 
band  of  men  headed  by  one  Perminter  Morgan — a  Baptist 
preacher — seized  Daniel  Asbury  and  hurried  him  for  trial 
before  Jonathan  Hampton,  a  worthy  justice  of  the  peace 
and  a  gentleman  of  intelligence.  'What  crime  has  been 
committed  by  Mr.  Asbury/  said  the  just  and  prudent  mag- 
istrate, 'that  you  have  thus  arrested  him  and  brought  him 
in  the  presence  of  an  officer  of  the  law?'  'He  is  going 
about  everywhere  through  the  country  preaching  the  gospel, 
and  has  no  authority  whatever  to  do  so,'  responded  Mr. 
Morgan  for  the  rest.  'AVe  believe  he  is  nothing  but  an 
impostor,  and  we  have  brought  him  before  you  that  you 
may  do  something  with  him,  and  forbid  him  to  preach  any 
more  in  future  ?  '  Why,  does  he  make  the  people  who  go  to 
hear  him  preach  any  worse  than  they  were  before?'  further 
asked  the  magistrate.  '  We  do  not  know  that  he  does,'  an- 
swered Mr.  Morgan,  '  but  he  ought  not  to  preach.'  '  Well,' 
said  the  magistrate,  '  if  he  makes  the  people  no  worse,  the 
probability  is  he  makes  them  better ;  so  I  will  release  him 
and  let  him  try  it  again.'  And  Mr.  Asbury  departed  from 
the  presence  of  the  court  rejoicing  that  he  was  counted  wor- 
thy to  suffer  persecution  for  the  name  of  Christ." 

Among  the  old-time  Methodists  in  Lincoln  county,  As- 
bury found  one  whose  charms  captivated  his  bold  spirit,  and 
he  violated  the  rules  of  the  itinerant  soldiery  by  marrying. 
This  of  course  necessitated  his  location,  but  he  did  not  cease 
to  preach,  and  his  labors  were  abundant  and  successful  in 


174  Tlir  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

the  local  relation.  We  feel  it  proper  to  observe  just  here 
that  history  has  hardly  credited  the  local  ministry  with  the 
honor  due  them  in  the  pioneer  work  of  the  Church.  On 
many  a  circuit,  the  first  sermon  was  preached  and  the  first 
society  formed  by  some  local  preacher  who  had  removed  to 
the  frontier  to  improve  his  temporal  condition,  and  who  took 
pains  to  remind  the  people  of  a  "better  country,  that  is,  a 
heavenly ; "  called  sinners  to  repentance,  established  "  preach- 
ing-places," and  paved  the  way  for  the  "  circuit-rider." 

After  spending  nine  years  in  the  local  relation,  Asbury 
was  induced  to  again  enter  the  itinerant  work,  and  contin- 
ued a  faithful  sentinel  on  the  walls  of  the  militant  Zion  un- 
til age  and  feebleness  necessitated  his  retirement.  He  was 
a  leader  of  the  "sacramental  hosts"  in  the  great  revival  of 
1802,  as  the  following  letters  to  Bishop  Asbury  will  show. 
They  were  published  in  1805,  and  have  not,  we  believe, 
been  reproduced  since.  They  reveal  the  spirit  of  the  man, 
and  are  quaint  and  interesting.  Their  historical  value  will 
justify  us  in  giving  them  in  full: 

"Yadkin  Circuit,  N.  C,  Aug.  20,  1802. 
"A  great  and  glorious  work  has  taken  place  in  this  cir- 
cuit since  Conference.  The  number  converted  I  cannot  tell. 
I  have  seen  and  felt  more  since  I  saw  you  than  ever  before. 
Many  stout-hearted  sinners  have  turned  to  the  Lord,  and  at 
our  common  meetings  loud  cries  and  shouts  of  praise  are 
heard.  It  is  not  uncommon  for  meetings  to  last  from  twelve 
o'clock  in  the  day  to  twelve  at  night.  At  a  quarterly-meet- 
ing held  in  Iredell  county,  which  began  the  thirtieth  of 
July,  and  continued  four  days,  the  power  of  the  Lord  began 
on  Friday  about  sunset,  under  an  exhortation,  and  contin- 
ued till  Monday  twelve  o'clock  without  intermission.  The 
groans  of  the  distressed  went  up  on  Friday  night  from  all 
parts  of  the  camp,  and  increased  till  ten  o'clock  the  next  day, 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  17") 

when  many  found  the  Lord  precious  in  the  pardon  of  their' 
sins. 

"  On  Saturday  afternoon,  while  Brother  Douthet  was  at 
prayer,  the  mighty  power  of  the  Lord  came  down ;  many 
hard-hearted  sinners  fell  to  the  ground  and  cried  to  the  Lord 
for  mercy  as  from  the  belly  of  hell.  The  slain  of  the  Lord 
were  many,  and  numbers  that  fell  rose  again  with  the  new 
song.  The  next  morning  was  an  awful  time — some  shouting 
praise  to  the  Lord,  others  screaming  for  mercy,  and  the 
whole  congregation  seemed  thunder-struck. 

"On  Sunday  evening,  after  Brother  Ormand's  sermon, 
under  prayer,  the  Lord  displayed  his  power  in  an  increas- 
ing manner.  The  heavens  were  black  with  clouds,  the 
thunder  and  lightning  were  awful,  and  the  ground  seemed 
covered  with  sinners.  The  wounded  were  taken  to  the 
tents,  but  some  staid  at  the  stand  in  the  hardest  rain,  and 
pleaded  with  the  Lord,  and  about  midnight  they  were  de- 
livered. The  storm  of  rain  was  so  powerful  that  the  wicked 
were  obliged  to  keep  close  to  the  tents,  and  the  Lord  mowed 
them  down  on  every  hand.  Mr.  Hall,  Mr.  King,  and  my- 
self continued  the  whole  night  in  prayer  for  the  mourners. 
Next  morning  I  preached,  and  notwithstanding  the  rain 
they  heard  with  the  greatest  attention.  Among  the  subjects 
of  this  work  wTas  a  doctor  who  came  with  salts  of  hartshorn 
to  apply  to  those  who  fell,  but  the  Lord  brought  him  down, 
and  many  others  with  him,  who  went  home  praising  God. 
This  is  a  little  of  what  I  have  seen  in  Yadkin  Circuit.  I  am 
more  than  ever  bound  for  glory. 

"Yours,  Daniel  Asbury." 

Again  he  wrrites : 

"Iredell,  N.  C,  Sept.  8,  1802. 
"Sometime  past  I  gave  you  an  account  of  the  work  of 
God  in  this  circuit.     Jehovah  is  still  working  in  great  pow- 


17G  The  Pfoneer*  of  Methodism 

er — Burners  are  coining  home  to  Jesus  day  and  night.  I 
believe  that  since  the  formation  of  Yadkin  Circuit  there  has 
not  been  such  a  glorious  revival  and  so  great  a  cry  for  mer- 
cy among  sinners.  Glory,  glory,  glory  to  God  of  all  grace 
for  the  many  souls  that  have  been  born  of  God  this  year! 
Now  we  reap  the  fruits  of  our  hard  labors,  our  former 
prayers  and  supplications.  I  am  nearly  broken  down ;  my 
breast  is  weak,  but  my  faith  and  love  are  strong.  I  want 
to  do  good  and  receive  more  grace.  I  am  thine  in  love  till 
death,  Daniel  Asbury." 

It  is  proper  to  notice  here  the  singular  affection  known 
as  "the  jerks,"  which  appeared  during  the  great  religious 
excitement  about  this  time.  It  is  thus  described  by  an  eye- 
witness: 

"  One  of  the  most  mysterious  exercises  among  the  people 
was  what  was  called  the  jerks.  I  saw  members  exercised 
in  this  way  at  a  camp-meeting  held  in  Lincoln  county. 
Sometimes  their  heads  would  be  jerked  backward  and  for- 
ward with  such  violence  that  it  would  cause  them  to  utter 
involuntarily  a  sharp,  quick  sound,  similar  to  the  yelp  of  a 
dog,  and  the  hair  of  the  women  to  crack  like  a  whip.  Some- 
times their  arms,  with  clinched  fists,  would  be  jerked  in  al- 
ternate directions  with  such  force  as  seemed  sufficient  almost 
to  separate  them  from  the  body.  Sometimes  all  their  limbs 
would  be  affected,  and  they  would  be  thrown  into  almost  ev- 
ery imaginable  position,  and  it  was  as  impossible  to  hold  them 
still  almost  as  to  hold  a  wild  horse.  When  a  woman  was 
exercised  in  this  way,  other  women  would  join  hands  around 
her  and  keep  her  within  the  circle  they  formed,  but  the  men 
were  left  without  constraint  to  jerk  at  large  through  the 
congregation,  over  benches,  over  logs,  and  even  over  fences. 
I  have  seen  persons  exercised  in  such  a  way  that  they  would 
go  all  over  the  floor  with  a  quick,  dancing  motion,  and  with 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  177 

such  rapidity  that  their  feet  would  rattle  upon  the  floor  like 
drum-sticks." 

It  was  more  generally  known  in  the  camp-meetings  of  the 
West,  The  Rev.  Jacob  Young  in  his  autobiography  gives 
us  the  following  account  of  it  as  it  appeared  in  Tennessee: 

"  In  1804  I  first  witnessed  that  strange  exercise,  the  jerks, 
although  I  had  heard  much  of  it  before.  It  took  subjects 
from  all  denominations  and  all  classes  of  society,  even  the 
wicked;  but  it  prevailed  chiefly  among  the  Presbyterians. 
I  will  give  some  instances. 

"A  Mr.  Doke,  a  Presbyterian  clergyman  of  high  stand- 
ing, having  charge  of  a  congregation  in  Jonesboro,  was 
the  first  man  of  eminence  in  this  region  that  came  under  its 
influence.  Often  it  would  seize  him  in  the  pulpit  with  so 
much  severity  that  a  spectator  might  fear  it  would  dislocate 
his  neck  and  joints.  He  would  laugh,  stand,  and  halloo  at 
the  top  of  his  voice,  finally  leap  from  the  pulpit  and  run  to 
the  woods  screaming  like  a  madman.  When  the  exercise  was 
over,  he  would  return  to  the  church  calm  and  rational  as 
ever.  Sometimes  at  hotels  this  affliction  would  visit  per- 
sons, causing  them,  for  example,  in  the  very  act  of  raising 
the  glass  to  their  lips,  to  jerk  and  throw  the  liquid  to  the 
ceiling,  much  to  the  merriment  of  some  and  the  alarm  of 
others.  I  have  often  seen  ladies  take  it  at  the  breakfast- 
table.  As  they  were  pouring  out  tea  or  coffee,  they  would 
throw  the  contents  toward  the  ceiling,  and  sometimes  break 
the  saucer.  Then  hastening  from  the  table,  their  Tono;  suits 
of  braided  hair  hanging  down  their  back  would  crack  like 
a  whip.  For  a  time  the  jerks  was  a  topic  of  conversation — 
public  and  private — both  in  the  Church  and  out.  Various 
opinions  were  expressed  concerning  it,  some  ascribing  it  to 
the  devil,  others  to  an  opposite  source;  some  striving  against 
it,  others  courting  it  as  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation. 
In  many  cases  its  consequences  were  disastrous,  in  some  fatal. 
12 


178  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

"A  preacher,  who  was  in,  early  life  a  dancing-master, 
joined  the  Conference,  and  was  sent  to  a  circuit  where  the 
jerks  greatly  prevailed.  He  declared  it  was  of  the  devil, 
and  that  he  would  preach  it  out  of  the  Methodist  Church. 
He  commenced  the  work  with  great  zeal  and  high  expecta- 
tions, but  before  he  got  once  round  he  took  the  jerks  him- 
self, or  rather  the  jerks  took  him.  When  the  fit  began  he 
would  say,  'Ah  yes!  O  no!'  At  every  jerk  he  used  his 
hands  and  arms  as  if  he  were  playing  the  violin.  One 
morning,  being  seized  as  he  was  going  to  an  appointment, 
he  let  go  the  bridle,  and  the  horse  ran  off  till  he  was 
stopped  by  a  gate.  The  rider  having  dismounted,  in  order 
to  steady  himself  laid  hold  of  the  palings  of  the  fence, 
which  unfortunately  gave  way.  The  lady  of  the  house 
coming  to  the  door  to  see  what  was  the  matter,  heightened 
his  mortification.  Attempting  to  hide  himself  by  run- 
ning into  the  orchard,  his  strange  movement,  as  he  ran  fid- 
dling along,  and  the  tail  of  his  long  gown  flying  in  ihe 
wind,  attracted  the  attention  of  the  hounds,  the  whole  pack 
of  which  pursued  him  with  hideous  yells.  Being  afraid  of 
dogs,  he  turned  and  rushed  into  the  house  by  the  backdoor, 
and  running  up-stairs,  jumped  into  bed,  where  he  lay  till  the 
fit  was  over. 

"His  proud  heart  would  not  sumbit,  and  the  disease,  as 
he  termed  it,  growing  worse  and  worse,  he  gave  up  the  cir- 
cuit and  withdrew  into  retirement,  where  he  soon  went  down 
under  a  cloud. 

"  Usually,  the  subjects  of  the  strange  affection  were  hap- 
py when  they  had  it,  and  happy  when  it  passed  off,  and  it 
did  them  no  harm." 

" The  jerks"  prevailed  for  only  a  short  time.  The  wisest 
of  the  preachers  did  not  attempt  to  check  or  rebuke  it,  but 
went  on  preaching  and  praying  as  if  the  strange  phenom- 
enon were  nothing  unusual. 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  179 

We  have  before  observed  that  Asbury  was  a  man  of  lim- 
ited education.  He  was  utterly  ignorant  of  the  rules  of 
logic,  rhetoric,  and  grammar;  and  yet,  his  earnest  zeal,  his 
close,  patient  study  of  the  word  of  God,  together  with  his 
superior  gifts,  and  his  thorough  conversion  and  consecration, 
made  him  "  a  workman  that  needeth  not  to  be  ashamed." 

While  one  of  the  most  spiritually-minded  of  men — walk- 
ing with  God,  and  having  his  "conversation  in  heaven" — 
there  was  a  humorous  side  to  his  character,  and  no  one  en- 
joyed a  good  joke  more  than  he.  In  the  evening  of  life  it 
was  his  delight  to  entertain  his  friends,  in  his  intercourse 
with  them,  by  relating  humorous  incidents  from  his  long  and 
varied  experience. 

He  knew  how  to  secure  the  attention  of  his  hearers,  as 
the  following  little  incident  will  show:  While  preaching 
in  Columbia,  S.  C,  one  night,  the  congregation,  wearied  by 
the  services  of  the  day,  showed  a  decided  inclination  to 
drowsiness.  The  old  hero  suddenly  j^aused  and  remarked : 
"Just  see  what  the  devil  is  doing  here.  These  dear  people 
want  to  hear  the  word  of  the  Lord,  and  do  you  think  the 
devil  isn't  getting  them  to  sleep  already?" 

The  close  of  his  life  was  as  serene  and  beautiful  as  the 
twilight  that  succeeds  a  peaceful  summer-day.  His  meek- 
ness, his  patience,  and  the  simplicity  of  his  manners  drew 
to  him  the  hearts  of  his  brethren,  and  lighted  up  the  even- 
ing of  his  career  with  a  quiet  beauty  that  lingered  on  the 
mind  of  the  beholder.  On  Sunday,  April  15,  1825,  as  he 
was  returning  from  a  walk  in  his  yard,  he  stopped  suddenly, 
looked  up  toward  heaven,  and  with  a  pleasant  smile  on  his 
face,  uttered  indistinctly  a  few  words,  then  fell  to  the 
ground — dead.  It  is  said  of  him  that  he  had  frequently 
expressed  the  belief  that  he  should  die  on  the  Sabbath,  and 
it  is  rather  a  singular  coincidence  that  he  was  born  on  the 
Sabbath,  captured  by  the  Indians  on  the  Sabbath,  returned 


180  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

home  on  the  Sabbath,  was  converted  on  the  Sabbath,  and 
on  this  holy  day  ascended  to  his  eternal  rest  and  entered  hie 
Father's  house. 

His  remains  are  interred  in  the  church-yard  of  Rehoboth 
Church,  Catawba  county,  North  Carolina. 


PHILIP  BRUCE. 

AT  the  beginning  of  the  second  quarter  of  the  present 
century,  when  Methodism  had  been  firmly  established, 
the  work  well  organized,  the  Conference  and  circuit  lines 
definitely  drawn,  and  the  fields  well  manned;  when  the 
smile  of  Heaven  had  rested  upon  the  toilsome  and  perilous 
labors  of  the  pioneer  heroes,  and  houses  of  worship  com- 
memorated their  conflicts  with  the  powers  of  darkness  and 
their  victories  over  the  forces  of  sin ;  when  the  great  Wes- 
leyan  movement  had  completed  the  first  half  century  of  its 
history,  and  from  the  St.  Lawrence  to  the  Gulf,  and  from 
the  Atlantic  to  the  Mississippi,  thousands  of  happy  hearts 
rejoiced  in  the  consciousness  of  favor  with  God — there  were 
two  names  on  the  Conference-rolls  that  vividly  recalled  the 
days  of  the  past.  Williams,  and  Gill,  and  Pedicord,  and 
Tunnell,  and  Asbury,  and  Lee,  and  Ellis,  and  scores  of  others 
who  had  stood  shoulder  to  shoulder  with  them  in  the  thickest 
of  the  fight,  had  gone  to  their  reward ;  but  Philip  Bruce  and 
Freeborn  Garrettson  tarried  on  the  shore  of  time,  like  bright 
stars  of  evening  that  linger  on  the  bosom  of  the  horizon  to 
leave  on  the  beholder  the  impress  of  their  beauty  forever. 
Within  a  few  years  of  each  other  they  had  enlisted  in  the 
"  Thundering  Legion,"  and  side  by  side  they  had  fought  some 
of  their  hardest  fights.  In  the  same  year — 1817 — they  had 
retired  from  the  active  work,  worn  out  by  old  age  and  hard 
labor;  and  when,  in  1827,  the  preachers  gathered  together 
in  their  annual  meetings,  they  were  called  upon  to  weep  for 
them  both — thev  were  dead. 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  181 

Few  names  deserve  a  higher  place  in  the  annals  of  Amer- 
ican Methodism  than  that  of  Philip  Bruce — certainly  to  no 
one  are  the  Methodists  of  the  Carolinas  and  Virginia  more 
indebted.  He  was  born  near  King's  Mountain,  in  North 
Carolina,  on  the  25th  of  December,  1755.  His  ancestors 
were  French  Huguenots  who  had  fled  from  the  persecution 
of  Louis  XIV.  to  seek  civil  and  religious  liberty  in  the 
New  World.  "The  family  name,"  it  is  said,  "was  De 
Bruise,  but  was  corrupted  into  Bruce  by  a  Scotch  teacher 
from  whom  Philip  received  his  education."  Great  spiritual 
darkness  prevailed  at  the  time  and  place  of  his  birth ;  in- 
deed, he  tells  us  that  when  he  was  fifteen  or  sixteen  years 
of  age,  "a  living  minister  and  a  living  Christian  could 
scarcely  be  found"  in  that  part  of  the  country.  About 
this  time  the  pioneers  of  Methodism  reached  that  section ;  a 
glorious  revival  of  religion  broke  out,  and  many  were  con- 
verted and  brought  into  the  Church — young  Philip  among 
them.  There,  in  the  wilds  of  the  new  settlement,  and  under 
the  preaching  of  these  bold  heralds  of  the  cross,  he  saw  him- 
self a  sinner,  and  looked  to  God  for  pardon  through  faith  in 
Jesus  Christ.  Light  dawned  upon  him  and  darkness  fled. 
His  soul  was  filled  with  love,  and  "peace,  and  joy  in  the 
Holy  Ghost."  The  sacred  flame,  which  was  now  kindled- 
on  the  altar  of  his  heart,  animated  him  in  many  a  hardly- 
contested  fight,  and,  fifty  years  later,  lighted  With  glory  the 
dark  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death. 

Having  found  the  Lord  himself,  his  next  step  was  to  lead 
others  to  him.  And  first  of  all,  his  heart  turned  to  his  par- 
ents, who,  it  seems,  were  yet  in  an  unconverted  state.  The 
story  of  his  effort  to  win  them  to  Christ  is,  to  our  mind, 
one  of  the  most  pathetic  in  the  whole  range  of  Methodist 
biography.  Let  us  look  at  the  picture :  It  is  evening ;  the 
trio  have  gathered  around  the  fireside;  the  boy's  heart  is 
full — he  has  embraced  Christ,  and  now  he  yearns  over  his 


182  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

parents.  We  can  well  imagine  how  his  frank,  open  coun- 
tenance and  his  bright,  piercing  eyes  express  his  emotion  as 
he  tells  his  lather  his  own  religious  experience,  and  urges 
him  to  embrace  the  Saviour.  The  direct,  loving  message  is 
not  in  vain.  The  boy  loves  his  father;  the  father  loves  the 
boy,  and  is  proud  of  him — more  proud  of  him  to-night  than 
ever  before,  for  his  brave,  noble,  loving  nature  never  found 
such  expression  before.  While  the  boy  pleads  the  father 
trembles,  and  tears  of  penitence  steal  down  his  cheeks.  The 
mother,  too,  is  deeply  affected.  The  boy  calls  on  the  father 
to  pray ;  he  replies  that  he  cannot  pray.  He  then  requests 
his  mother  to  pray ;  she  asks  him  to  pray.  Then  they  kneel 
in  prayer,  and  young  Philip  earnestly  presents  the  case  of  his 
parents  at  a  throne  of  grace.  Earth  has  seen  few  holier 
sights  than  that.  Did  not  Heaven's  witnessing  angels  rejoice 
over  it?  There  in  the  hush  of  the  evening,  in  their  quiet 
frontier  home,  a  family-altar  is  erected,  and  broken,  contrite 
hearts  are  offered  in  sacrifice  upon  it.  The  parents  soon 
find  peace  in  believing,  and  unite  with  the  Methodists. 
Young  Philip  was  shortly  afterward  licensed  to  exhort,  and 
began  to  call  sinners  to  repentance.  There  is  a  tradition 
that  his  credentials  saved  his  life  on  one  occasion.  While 
hunting  wild-turkeys  in  the  woods,  he  was  arrested  by  a  band 
of  Tories,  who  proceeded  to  hang  him,  but  finding  in  his 
pocket  his  credentials  as  a  licensed  exhorter,  "the  captain 
said  it  would  never  do  to  hang  a  priest,"  and  he  was  set  at 
liberty.  Bruce  was  fully  in  accord  with  the  spirit  of  inde- 
pendence, and  was  present  at  the  battle  of  King's  Mountain  ; 
the  commanders,  however,  did  not  require  him  to  bear  arms, 
"as  they  looked  upon  him  as  a  sort  of  chaplain." 

The  Conference  for  1781  met  in  the  city  of  Baltimore, 
and  here  Bruce  entered  the  itinerancy.  There  were  at  this 
time  10,539  Methodists  in  America.  Of  this  number  3,239 
were  in  Virginia,  and  1,993  in  Xorth  Carolina.     There  had 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.     .  183 

been  a  small  decrease  in  the  South,  on  account  of  the  war 
then  waging.  At  this  Conference  some  important  measures 
were  adopted  which  deserve  a  passing  notice.  It  was  here 
ordered  that  candidates  were  to  remain  on  three  months' 
probation  before  they  could  be  admitted  as  regular  members 
of  the  society;  members  who  had  been  expelled  were  re- 
quired to  give  satisfactory  proof  of  their  repentance  and  be 
recommended  by  the  society.  It  was  made  the  duty  of  the 
preachers  to  read,  frequently,  the  "Rules  of  the  Society," 
the  "Character  of  a  Methodist,"  and  the  "Plain  Account 
of  Christian  Perfection,"  and  to  give  a  written  "plan"  of 
their  circuits  to  their  successors.  Here,  for  the  first  time, 
a  rule  was  adopted  for  the  settlement  of  business  disputed 
between  members. 

Bruce  was  appointed  to  New  Hope  Circuit  in  North  Car- 
olina. It  is  difficult  to  ascertain  the  circuit  boundaries  at 
that  early  day — if,  indeed,  they  had  any  boundaries.  Of 
New  Hope  we  only  know  that  it  "took  its  name  from  a 
creek  which  runs  through  Orange  county  and  empties  into 
Haw  River,  in  the  southern  part  of  Chatham,  a  few  miles 
above  its  junction  with  Deep  River,  to  form  Cape  Fear," 
and  that  it  was  one  of  the  three  circuits  reported  as  lying 
in  North  Carolina.  It  extended  over  a  large  portion  of  the 
Cape  Fear  section,  and  embraced  much  of  the  territory  after- 
ward known  as  Bladen  Circuit.  The  Bladen  Circuit  was 
formed  by  Daniel  Combs,  in  1787,  and  soon  after  embraced 
the  entire  scope  of  country  lying  between  Long  Bay,  in 
South  Carolina,  and  the  Cape  Fear  River,  and  numbered 
among  its  regular  appointments  Lumberton,  Elizabeth  town, 
Smithville,  and  Wilmington.  It  is  said  that  the  preachers 
on  this  circuit  found  many  who  had  been  received  into  so- 
ciety by  Philip  Bruce  in  1781. 

The  war,  however,  greatly  retarded  the  progress  of  relig- 
ion, and   Bruce  had  this  year  many  narrow  escapes  from 


184  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

the  British  and  the  Tories.  We  quote  a  few  incidents  as 
recorded  by  Dr.  Bennett  in  his  "Memorials  of  Methodism 
in  Virginia:"  "On  one  occasion  he  was  induced  to  preach 
to  a  band  of  Tories  wlio.se  captain  had  gone  to  procure  arms. 
He  did  so,  and  actually  persuaded  them  to  disperse.  When 
the  captain  returned  with  the  arms  he  found  no  men,  and 
on  being  told  through  whose  influence  his  men  had  dis- 
persed, he  swore  vengeance  against  Bruce.  Not  very  long 
afterward,  when  he  had  preached  at  the  house  o*"  a  friend, 
up  rode  the  captain  with  two  of  his  men.  Springing  from 
his  horse  he  rushed  to  the  porch  where  Bruce  was  quietly 
reading,  and  with  horrid  oaths  presented  his  gun  at  his 
breast.  Bruce  caught  the  muzzle,  and  a  scuffle  ensued.  The 
captain,  dropping  his  gun,  drew  his  sword  and  made  a  tre- 
mendous cut  at  his  head,  but  in  its  sweep  the  weapon-  struck 
the  rafters  of  the  roof.  Just  at  this  moment  up  rode  three 
Whigs;  the  two  Tories  gave  the  alarm,  and  Bruce  finding 
the  captain  willing  to  be  off,  pushed  him  down  the  steps, 
sprung  into  the  house  and  shut  the  door.  The  three  Tories 
rode  off  in  quick  time  one  way,  and  the  Whigs  as  fast  in 
another.  As  the  captain  passed  the  window,  Bruce  shouted, 
'Good-by,  captain!'  In  reply,  he  swore  he  would  kill 
him.  A  day  or  two  after,  Bruce  reached  his  next  appoint- 
ment, and  although  his  horse  had  been  put  up  and  the 
people  had  assembled  for  preaching,  it  was  so  solemnly  im- 
pressed on  his  mind  that  it  was  his  duty  to  leave  the  place 
immediately  that,  notwithstanding  the  earnest  remonstrance 
of  the  landlord,  he  called  for  his  horse  and  rode  off,  leaving 
an  appointment  for  another  time.  Among  those  who  had 
come  to  the  meeting  was  a  preacher  of  another  denom- 
ination. Bruce  was  not  more  than  out  of  sight  when  the 
captain's  lieutenant  rode  up  with  a  file  of  men  and  in- 
quired for  the  preacher.  The  one  who  had  come  to  hear 
Bruce  preach  was  pointed  out  to  them  as  the  only  preacher 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  185 

present;  they  instantly  shot  him  down  and  rode  off,  brag- 
ging that  Bruce  would  never  disperse  another  Tory  com- 
pany." 

"We  quote,  from  the  same  source,  another  incident:  "  Hav- 
ing an  appointment  which  required  him  to  start  very  early 
in  order  to  reach  it  in  time,  after  a  ride  of  several  miles  he 
stopped  at  the  house  of  a  widow  lady  to  get  breakfast.  He 
was  scarcely  seated  in  the  house  when  an  officer  and  a  squad 
of  men  from  Tarleton's  troop  rode  into  the  yard  and  called 
for  breakfast.  Bruce  met  them  and  politely  invited  them 
in,  saying  that  he  had  called  for  the  same  purpose.  He 
then  left  them  and  went  to  assist  the  good  lady  in  the  prep- 
arations. Very  soon  the  table  was  spread  with  an  abun- 
dance of  good  cheer,  to  which  Bruce  and  the  soldiers  did 
ample  justice.  The  breakfast  ended,  Bruce  turned  to  the 
officer  and  said :  '  Sir,  I  am  your  prisoner.  I  am  a  Meth- 
odist preacher  on  my  way  to  an  appointment,  and  would  be 
pleased  to  be  permitted  to  go.'  '  Certainly,  certainly,  Mr. 
Bruce,'  replied  the  officer,  'you  are  at  liberty  to  go.'  He 
politely  thanked  the  officer  for  his  kindness,  and  rode  off 
rejoicing.  On  being  asked  how  he  managed  to  get  on  so 
well  with  them,  he  said :  '  My  father  used  to  say  to  me,  Phil, 
if  they  will  only  let  you  talk,  they  will  never  hang  you.'  " 

His  next  fields  of  labor  were  Isle  of  Wight  Circuit  in 
Virginia,  and  Yadkin  and  New  Kiver  circuits  in  North 
Carolina.  These  were  all  pioneer  fields.  The  toil,  the  pri- 
vation, the  suffering  that  he  "endured,  as  seeing  Him  that 
is  invisible,"  to  plant  the  standard  of  the  cross  in  these  set- 
tlements, finds  its  record  nowhere  but  in  the  Book  which 
shall  be  opened  only  at  the  last  day;  but  his  labors  were 
crowned  with  success — hundreds  of  souls  were  led  to  a 
knowledge  of  the  truth,  new  churches  were  erected,  new 
societies  formed,  and  work  for  new  preachers  provided. 

In  1786,  four  years  after  his  admission  into  the  traveling 


186  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

connection,  he  was  appointed  a  presiding  elder,  his  district 
embracing  Portsmouth,  Bertie,  Camden,  and  Banks.  This 
office,  which  was  similar  to  that  known  in  the  societies  be- 
fore the  organization  of  the  Church  as  "  assistant,"  dates  its 
origin  from  the  Conference  of  1785.  So  similar  were  the 
duties  of  an  "assistant"  and  a  "presiding  elder"  that  the 
terms  are  used  as  synonymous  by  some  of  the  earliest  biog- 
raphers— e.  (/.,  the  Rev.  Minton  Thrift  in  his  "Memoir  of 
Jesse  Lee"  (page  43),  says  "he  received  a  letter  from  the 
presiding  elder,  Caleb  Pedicord,"  etc.  This  was  in  1782, 
before  the  ordination  of  elders.  Dr.  Bennett  and  others 
attribute  the  origin  of  the  office  of  presiding  elder  to  the 
necessity  of  supplying  the  people  with  the  sacraments,  and 
the  limited  number  of  ordained  preachers,  but  it  seems  more 
probable  that  it  followed  naturally  upon  the  office  of  "as- 
sistant," and  that  the  "assistant's"  duty  of  overseeing  the 
work  was  an  important  consideration  in  originating  the  pre- 
siding eldership.  In  this  office  Bruce  spent  the  remainder 
of  his  itinerant  life,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  years  when 
we  find  him  appointed  to  such  important  stations  as  Phila- 
delphia, Baltimore,  Norfolk,  and  Raleigh.  The  districts 
traveled  by  him  extended  over  nearly  the  whole  of  Virginia 
and  North  Carolina,  and  over  considerable  portions  of  South 
Carolina  and  Georgia. 

To  us,  in  this  day,  the  accounts  of  the  wonderful  revivals 
that  followed  his  preaching  sound  more  like  romance  than 
reality.  The  days  when  hundreds  of  souls  were  converted 
at  an  ordinary  protracted  meeting,  and  when  preachers  spoke 
of  a  meeting  "  where  about  a  hundred  souls  were  converted" 
as  a  "small  revival"  have  long  since  passed  away.  From 
an  old  volume  of  "Extracts  of  Letters"  from  the  preachers 
and  members  to  Bishops  Asbury  and  Whatcoat,  published 
in  1805,  and  long  since  out  of  print,  we  find  the  following 
letters  from  Bruce,  which  we  transcribe,  preferring  to  let 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  187 

him  tell  the  story  of  his  successes  in  his  own  quaint,  modest 
way.  In  1801-2  he  traveled  the  Richmond  District  in  Vir- 
ginia, but  did  some  good  work  in  North  Carolina  also,  as 
this  letter  will  show : 

"North  Carolina,  June  1,  1802. 

"On  the  second  Sabbath  in  September,  after  preaching 
at  South  River,  I  rode  to  Lawyer  Sharp's  to  attend  prayer- 
meeting  in  the  evening ;  many  appeared  to  be  deeply  affect- 
ed, and  cried  for  mercy ;  and  I  suppose  there  were  about  a 
dozen  deeply  wounded;  and  Monday  evening,  at  family 
prayer  at  my  father's,  there  was  a  serious  cry  for  mercy  un- 
til twelve  o'clock.  On  Tuesday  evening  a  number  of  the 
neighbors  collected.  Immediately  as  meeting  commenced, 
the  cry  of  distress  arose  in  every  part  of  the  house.  In  this 
meeting  two  gave  glory  to  God  for  redemption  in  Jesus. 
The  Saturday  evening  following,  I  visited  the  Snow  Creek 
neighborhood  again,  and  a  large  congregation  attended,  and 
in  the  course  of  the  meeting  eight  or  ten  professed  deliver- 
ance from  the  guilt  and  burden  of  sin. 

"I  held  meeting  as  often  as  my  strength  would  admit; 
the  presence  and  power  of  God  attended  the  meetings,  and 
from  three  to  four,  and  from  seven  to  eight,  were  brought 
to  the  glorious  liberty  of  the  children  of  God  at  each  meet- 
ing. I  formed  a  society  of  about  fifty  members  at  my  fa- 
ther's house;  on  Snow  Creek  near  about  the  same  number 
joined  in  society.  Numbers  of  the  awakened  and  converted 
continued  in  the  societies  where  they  held  their  birthright 
and  education.  The  Presbyterian  preachers  in  Iredell  coun- 
ty were  in  favor  of  the  work,  and  invited  me  to  assist  them 
at  a  sacramental  occasion,  to  be  held  by  encampment,  near 
Statesville,  about  the  middle  of  February,  1802.  They  met 
at  the  time  and  place  appointed.  On  Friday  there  were 
present  seven  or  eight  Presbyterian  ministers. 

"  From  Saturday  till  Tuesday  ten  o'clock,  the  cries  of  the 


188  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

wounded,  prayers,  shouting,  exhortation,  and  singing  con- 
tinued without  intermission — near  one  hundred  were  appar- 
ently under  the  operations  of  grace  at  a  time.  But  it  is  not 
possible  to  ascertain  the  number  that  found  peace  and  deliv- 
erance— the  probability  is,  if  the  meeting  had  continued 
longer  the  consequence  would  have  been  wonderful. 

"  The  public  congregation  was  dismissed  at  ten  o'clock  on 
Tuesday.  It  was  a  common  circumstance  for  companies  to 
retire  from  the  camp  for  private  devotion,  and  some  of  them 
to  be  struck  down  in  the  woods,  and  for  single  persons  when 
thus  retired  to  alarm  their  friends  in  the  camp  with  their 
cries.  On  Monday  evening  numbers  left  the  camp,  and  I 
suppose  not  more  than  three  or  four  hundred  remained. 

"I  agreed  to  continue  with  them,  as  did  two  or  three  oth- 
er ministers.  I  told  some  of  the  mourners  if  they  would 
come  to  the  tent  where  I  was,  I  would  spend  the  whole  night 
with  them  in  prayer.  Soon  after  they  came  together,  a 
young  man  told  us  he,  with  his  companions,  had  left  the 
camp  in  tlje  morning  and  went  to  a  whisky-house,  and  while 
one  of  the  company  was  blaspheming,  he  was  struck  with 
such  dread  and  horror  that  he  quit  his  wicked  companions 
and  returned  to  the  camp,  and  joined  in  with  the  first  pray- 
ing company  he  met  with,  and  the  Lord  manifested  his  par- 
doning love  to  his  soul.  The  simple  relation  had  the  most 
astonishing  effect  on  the  congregation.  A  young  woman 
who  was  taking  some  refreshments  cried  out  that  she  was 
feasting  her  body  and  her  poor  soul  was  in  danger  of  per- 
ishing to  all  eternity.  The  cry  for  mercy  became  general 
throughout  our  large  tent,  and  fifteen  or  sixteen  rose  be- 
fore morning,  shouting,  praising,  and  giving  glory  to  God 
for  pardoning  mercy ;  at  the  same  time  the  work  was  carry- 
ing on  in  the  other  tents.  fTh rough  the  course  of  the  meet- 
ing many  old  professors,  who  had  been  in  full  communion 
for  years  in  the  regular  congregations,  were  stripped  of  the 


Li  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  189 

garments  of  their  own  making,  and  cast  away  their  old  re- 
ligion, as  it  was  termed,  and,  with  repenting  publicans,  be- 
gan to  cry  aloud  for  mercy  until  they  had  found  the  sinner's 
Friend.  After  this  meeting  was  dismissed,  some  were  found 
by  the  way-side,  others  were  struck  in  the  wagons ;  some 
returned  home  praising  and  shouting,  others  crying  for 
mercy.  This  may  serve  as  a  sample  of  the  work  that  God 
is  carrying  on  in  this  once  abandoned  part  of  the  country. 
Where  thirty  years  ago  a  living  minister  and  a  living  Chris- 
tian could  scarcely  be  found,  now  there  are  scores  of  minis- 
ters and  hundreds  of  Christians.  I  am  yours  in  the  gospel ' 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  Philip  Bruce." 

In  the  following,  to  Asbury,  he  gives  some  account  of  the 
work  on  his  district: 

"Iredell,  December  12,  1802. 

"As  I  think  it  probable  that  you  may  not  have  had  any 
accurate  account  from  Virginia  since  we  parted,  I  give  you 
the  following: 

"  The  meeting  we  had  the  pleasure  of  opening  at  Kock- 
ingham  continued  nine  days — that  is,  until  the  Sunday  week 
after  it  began.  During  that  memorable  week  business  was 
wholly  suspended,  nothing  was  attended  to  but  waiting  on 
the  Lord;  and  there  was  also  a  constant  crowd  from  the 
country  round  about.  On  Sunday — the  last  day  of  the 
meeting — the  door  of  admission  was  opened  and  one  hun- 
dred and  seven  joined  the  Church,  of  the  new  converts  who 
lived  in  and  near  the  town.  The  number  of  those  who 
lived  at  a  distance  and  shared  in  the  gracious  visitation  has 
not  been  ascertained,  but  it  is  probable  it  bore  a  full  pro- 
portion to  those  in  the  town.  The  postman  carried  the 
news  to  New  Town,  while  Brother  Samuel  Mitchell  was 
there,  and  it  gave  them  such  a  spring  in  that  barren  place 
that  when  my  information* came  away  about  fifty  souls  had 


190  Tlie  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

happily  found  redemption  in  the  blood  of  Jesus;  and  the 
prospect  was  growing  in  that  quarter  of  the  vineyard,  as 
our  old  Steadies  had  caught  the  flame.  But  to  return  to 
Rock  Town.  There  were  some  particular  cases  that  deserve 
a  place  in  my  letter,  especially  the  work  among  the  pro- 
fessed deists,  among  whom  was  young  Mr.  Cocran,  merchant, 
Major  Harrison,  and  a  companion  of  theirs.  Cocran,  on 
the  Thursday,  determined  to  satisfy  himself  as  to  the  work, 
took  his  stand  in  the  gallery,  where  he  could  have  the  whole 
scene  under  his  eye.  He  felt  unusual,  and  concluding  it  was 
from  the  heat  of  the  crowded  house,  determined  to  walk  out 
and  take  the  air.  As  he  slipped  out  of  the  house  he  felt 
an  impression  like  a  voice  speaking  to  him,  '  Turn  and  seek 
the  Lord ! '  He  turned,  but  concluded  it  was  the  force  of 
imagination.  He  went  to  the  door  a  second  time,  and  the 
impression  came  more  powerful  than  at  first,  'Turn  and 
seek  the  Lord ! '  He  turned  into  the  congregation  and  soon 
fell  helpless  on  the  floor ;  he  continued  in  that  helpless  state 
until  next  morning;  while  prayer  was  making  for  him  the 
Lord  set  his  soul  at  liberty.  His  companions,  as  mentioned 
above,  were  struck  about  the  same  time.  And  next  morn- 
ing when  Cocran's  friend,  at  his  request,  supported  him  to 
meeting,  that  he  might  tell  the  people  what  God  had  done 
for  his  soul,  he  met  the  Major  and  their  companions,  wit- 
nesses of  the  same  salvation.  They  rushed  into  each  other's 
arms,  and  such  a  shout  of '  Glory,  glory ! '  was  seldom  heard. 

"Philip  Bruce." 

The  following,  from  the  New  Berne  District,  on  which  he 
spent  so  many  of  the  best  years  of  his  life,  is  quaint  and  in- 
teresting : 

"  New  Berne  District,  N.  C,  November,  1804. 
"There  has  been  a  small  revival  of  religion  near  Tren- 
ton, Trent  River — perhaps  nearly  one  hundred  added  in 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  191 

that  neighborhood ;  also  Queen's  Creek,  near  Swan's  Bridge; 
also  some  at  Yelverton's  Contentney.  There  have  been  some 
revivals  in  many  parts  of  Roanoke  Circuit,  and  the  upper 
part  of  Tar  River  Circuit;  especially  about  Shous  Church 
the  work  goes  on  well  among  the  rich  and  great. 

"At  a  camp-meeting,  October  23d,  Ebenezer  meeting- 
house, twelve  miles  above  Halifax,  it  was  supposed  we  had 
about  forty  souls  converted  to  God. 

"At  that  awful  place,  Partridge's,  we  held  a  camp-meet- 
ing on  the  first  Friday  in  November ;  we  had  a  most  pow- 
erful awakening  time;  we  suppose  twelve  found  the  Lord 
on  the  ground,  and  we  heard  of  some  others  who  professed 
after  they  left  the  encampment.  Philip  Bruce." 

The  late  Rev.  Benjamin  Devaney  gives  us  some  idea  of 
the  personal  appearance  of  the  man  in  the  following  extract : 

"  My  first  acquaintance  with  this  remarkable  man  of  God, 
one  of  theTathers  of  the  Virginia  Conference,  took  place  in 
New  Berne,  North  Carolina,  February,  1807,  at  which  time 
and  place  the  Virginia  Conference  held  its  annual  session. 
He  was  the  oldest  preacher  then  belonging  to  the  Confer- 
ence, having  traveled  twenty-six  years.  His  general  ap- 
pearance indicated  that  he  was  of  French  origin.'  In  his 
person  he  was  tall  and  spare,  face  thin,  black  eyes,  dark 
skin,  and  a  prominent  nose,  wTith  a  pleasing,  open  counte- 
nance. He  possessed  great  ministerial  gravity,  and  yet  he 
seemed  ever  cheerful  without  levity.  He  seldom  spoke  in 
the  Conference  or  in  the  social  circle  without  a  smile  light- 
ing up  his  face As  a  presiding  elder,  he  was  kind 

and  affectionate  to  the  preachers  under  his  charge,  and 
treated  them  as  brethren  beloved.  He  was  a  great  favorite 
among  the  preachers  and  the  people.  He  possessed  a  phil- 
osophic mind,  and  it  was  well  stored  with  useful  knowledge. 
I  think  his  mind  was  better  cultivated  than  that  of  any  of 


192  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

his  compeers  in  the  Conference.  He  united  fine  conversa- 
tional powers  with  polished  manners,  and  passed  "well  in  any 
company  in  which  he  chanced  to  be  thrown.  He  stood  high 
in  every  community,  both  as  a  preacher  and  a  presiding 
elder.  His  sermons  were  generally  short  and  delivered  with 
much  zeal  aud  energy." 

A  characteristic  anecdote,  illustrating  the  style  of  his  pul- 
pit delivery,  is  given  by  Dr.  Bennett,  as  related  to  him  by 
the  late  Rev.  Joseph  Carson,  who  was  present  on  the  occa- 
sion. Asbury  was  to  preach  in  the  town  of  Winchester, 
Virginia,  within  the  bounds  of  Bruce's  district,  "In  the 
afternoon,  the  Bishop  remarked  to  Bruce  in  a  playful  man- 
ner: 'Now,  Philip,  I  intend  to  pile  up  the  brush  to-night, 
and  you  must  set  it  on  fire.'  Asbury  preached  a  plain, 
pointed,  practical  sermon,  and  when  he  sat  down,  Bruce 
arose  and  delivered  a  most  powerful  exhortation,  which  told 
with  overwhelming  effect  on  the  congregation.  The  Bish- 
op's brush-heap  blazed  at  the  touch  of  Philip's  torch." 

Bruce's  popularity  as  a  preacher,  and  the  high  esteem  in 
which  his  talents  and  other  qualifications  were  held,  is  fur- 
ther attested  by  the  fact  that  on  two  occasions  he  came 
within  three  votes  of  being  elected  bishop.  He  was  a  prom- 
inent leader  in  all  the  grand  movements  of  the  Church  dur- 
ing the  thirty-six  years  of  his  itinerant  life,  and  went  down 
to  his  grave  honored  and  beloved  by  the  whole  Connection. 

Like  most  of  the  early  preachers  who  remained  long  in 
the  traveling  ministry,  he  never  married.  It  is  recorded 
that  he  once  had  serious  thoughts  on  the  subject,  and  had 
even  selected  the  lady — if,  indeed,  he  had  not  made  known 
to  her  his  feelings;  but  Asbury  dissuaded  him  from  so  en- 
tangling himself,  doubtless  fearing  that  he  would  be  lost  to 
the  itinerancy.  So  great  was  the  opposition  to  the  marriage 
of  preachers  that  when  one  of  the  number  broke  the  rule 
it  was  expected  of  him  to  publicly  state  his  reasons  for  the 


Li  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  193 

step  at  the  ensuing  Conference.  It  is  said  that  on  one  such 
occasion,  when  a  brother  had  explained  to  the  Conference 
that  "  he  believed  it  to  be  his  duty,  had  prayed  over  the 
matter,  and  thought  he  was  divinely  directed,"  etc.,  Jesse 
Lee  arose  and  said:  "Bishop,  I  once  experienced  the  same 
feelings  that  the  brother  has.  i"  prayed  over  the  matter.  I 
believed  it  to  be  best  for  me  to  marry,  but  the  Lord  and  the 
woman  were  of  a  different  opinion."  *  It  is  recorded  of  As- 
buiy  that,  being  provoked  to  learn  on  one  occasion  that  one 
of  his  favorite  preachers  had  fallen  a  victim  to  the  charms 
of  one  of  the  fair  sex,  he  exclaimed,  "  I  believe  the  devil 
and  the  women  will  get  all  my  preachers ! " 

Borne  down  by  the  weight  of  years  and  disease,  Bruce,  in 
1817,  asked  for  and  obtained  a  superannuated  relation.  His 
"old  age"  was 

serene  and  bright, 
And  peaceful  as  a  Lapland  night. 

Having  laid  down  the  armor  he  had  so  long  worn,  and 
given  over  to  other  hands  the  blood-stained  standard  he  was 
no  longer  able  to  bear,  he  longed  to  take  up  his  crown,  and 
quietly  watched  for  the  signs  betokening  the  breaking  day. 
Hearing  that  he  was  quite  ill,  his  old  and  faithful  friend 
the  Kev.  John  Early  (afterward  bishop)  made  a  long  ride 
to  reach  his  bedside  and  attend  him  as  nurse.  On  inquir- 
ing how  he  had  rested,  one  morning,  the  old  hero  expressed 
a  feeling  of  disappointment.  He  had  been  dreaming  of 
heaven ;  he  had  thought  himself  in  the  innumerable  throng 
entering  in  through  the  gates  of  the  Eternal  City,  and  had 
awaked  to  find  that  he  was  still  buffeted  upon  the  waves  of 
time. 

In  the  latter  part  of  his  life,  he  removed  to  Tennessee  and 

*  Bishop  Granuery,  in  a  letter  to  the  Richmond  Advocate,  mentions 
meeting  in  Missouri  a  sister  of  the  lady  alluded  to  by  Lee.     The 
lady  said  that  her  sister  was  Lee's  "only  love." 
13 


194  The  Pioneers  <>/  Methodism 

resided  with  his  brother  Joel  Bruce  in  Giles  county.  Short- 
ly before  his  death,  the  Virginia  Conference  sent  him  an 
official  request  to  visit  again  that  body  that  they  might  once 
more  behold  him  in  the  flesh.  In  reply,  he  wrote :  "  Many 
affections  bind  me  to  the  Virginia  Conference.  Your  ex- 
pressions of  good-will  have  awakened  the  tenderest  friend- 
ships of  my  soul ;  but  it  is  very  probable  that  I  shall  never 
see  you  again,  for  though  in  my  zeal  I  sometimes  try  to 
preach,  my  preaching  is  like  old  Priam's  dart,  thrown  by 
an  arm  enfeebled  by  age.  Indeed,  my  work  is  well-nigh 
done,  and  I  am  waiting  in  glorious  expectation  for  my 
change  to  come,  for  I  have  not  labored  and  suffered  in  vain, 
nor  followed  a  cunningly  devised  fable." 

A  thrill  of  sadness  was  felt  throughout  the  Connection 
when  the  Kev.  Robert  Paine  (afterward  bishop)  wrote  from 
Nashville,  Tennessee,  under  date  of  May  17,  1826,  to  the 
editors  of  the  Methodist  Magazine: 

"Dear  Brethren:  I  am  just  now  informed,  by  letter 
from  my  father,  of  the  death  of  one  who  for  a  number  of 
years  has  been  one  of  the  brightest  ornaments  and  most  use- 
ful ministers  of  our  Church.  The  Rev.  Philip  Bruce  is  dead. 
He  had  for  some  time  past  been  a  superannuated  member 
of  the  Virginia  Conference,  and  had  been  an  itinerant  more 
than  forty  years.  He  died  at  the  residence  of  his  brother 
Joel  Bruce,  in  Giles  county,  of  this  State.  In  the  short 
notice  given  me  of  his  death,  it  is  briefly  stated  that  '  he  was 
perfectly  resigned,  and  said  he  had  never  had  such  clear 
views  in  his  life — for  a  whole  night  he  could  not  sleep  for 
joy;  and  the  Lord  was  with  him  and  blessed  him  mightily.' 
Thus  died  Father  Bruce.  A  better  man,  a  brighter  exam- 
ple of  ministerial  simplicity,  purity,  and  devotedness  to  the 
cause  of  God,  or  a  more  evangelical  and  successful  preach- 
er, I  have  never  seen,  and  expect  never  to  see,  on  earth. 
"  Brother  T.  L.  Douglass  and   myself  are  requested  to 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  195 

attend  his  funeral,  and  you  will  doubtless  be  furnished  with 
a  more  enlarged  obituary  notice  of  our  venerable  father." 

The  Virginia  Conference,  in  loving  gratitude  and  respect, 
erected  a  neat  monument  over  his  last  resting-place.  He 
had  given  all  to  God  and  died — from  the  world's  stand-point 
— "  poor."  Dr.  Taylor,  who  wrote  his  will,  tells  us  that  he 
was  not  worth  more  than  three  hundred  dollars  of  this 
world's  goods  at  the  time  of  his  death;  but,  "counting  as 
angels  count,"  was  he  poor?  Hundreds  of  souls  led  to 
Christ  by  him  awaited  to  welcome  him  in  heaven;  hun- 
dreds on  earth  were  following  him  there;  was  he  poor? 
Hath  not  the  Master  said:  "Lay  not  up  for  yourselves 
treasures  upon  earth,  where  moth  and  rust  doth  corrupt, 
and  where  thieves  break  through  and  steal ;  but  lay  up  for 
yourselves  treasures  in  heaven,  where  neither  moth  nor  rust 
doth  corrupt,  and  where  thieves  do  not  break  through  nor 
steal?" 

After  he  had  been  sleeping  his  last  sleep  for  nearly  sixty 
years,  it  seemed  strange  to  read  in  the  religious  press,  a  few 
weeks  ago,  of  the  recent  death  of  one  who  had  been  con- 
verted under  the  ministry  of  Philij)  Bruce*  Doubtless  few 
of  the  many  who  were  led  to  Christ  under  his  personal  min- 
istry now  remain,  but  the  wave  of  holy  influence  which  he 
started  out  on  the  ocean  of  time  will  continue  to  widen  and 
increase  until  it  touches  the  very  throne  of  God  in  the  last 
day. 

"  He  that  goeth  forth  and  weepeth,  bearing  precious  seed, 
shall  doubtless  come  again  with  rejoicing,  bringing  his 
sheaves  with  him." 

*  Mrs.  Jane  Holland,  who  was  converted  in  1802,  during  the  meet- 
ing alluded  to  by  Bruce  in  the  first  letter  quoted,  and  a  notice  of 
whose  death,  by  the  Rev.  P.  F.  W.  Stamey,  appeared  in  the  Method- 
ist Advance  of  April  11,  1883. 


19G  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

REUBEN  ELLIS. 

TT^HE  men  who  occupy  the  uppermost  seats  in  the  syna- 
JL  gogue  of  public  esteem  are  not  always  the  most  hum- 
ble, pious,  devoted  followers  and  imitators  of  our  Divine 
Master.  This  is  too  often  true  of  the  militant  Church  of 
Christ.  Oratory  often  passes  for  pure  gold,  while  true  pie- 
ty, Christ-like  humility,  silent  suffering  for  and  earnest  de- 
votion to  the  religion  of  Jesus,  are  often  at  a  discount.  The 
world  is  slow  to  learn  the  lesson  that  the  "beloved  disciple" 
taught  when  he  wrote,  "  This  is  the  victory  which  overcom- 
eth  the  world,  even  our  faith."  Paul  did  not  think  that  the 
hosts  of  sin  were  to  be  defeated,  or  that  humanity  was  to  be 
lifted  from  its  degradation  by  the  use  of  the  world's  weapons 
of  warfare,  but  by  the  "foolishness  of  preaching."  Nor 
was  his  preaching  "  with  enticing  words  of  man's  wisdom, 
but  in  demonstration  of  the  Spirit  and  of  power,  that"  his 
hearers'  "  faith  should  not  stand  in  the  wisdom  of  men,  but 
in  the  power  of  God."  It  was  the  mournful  acknowledg- 
ment of  one  of  the  most  gifted  and  popular  preachers  of 
Southern  Methodism,  in  the  evening  of  life,  that  he  had 
learned  on  how  little  religion  a  man  could  live.  The  grand 
work  of  the  gospel  ministry  is  to  lead  souls  to  Jesus,  to 
comfort  the  hearts  of  God's  people,  to  lead  them  to  "  green 
pastures,"  and  "still  waters  in  the  divine  life;  and  the  shep- 
herd must  know  himself  the  way  before  he  can  lead  thither 
the  sheep.  It  was,  perhaps,  a  disgust  with  the  undue  im- 
portance which  the  Church  is  so  ready  to  attach  to  what 
should  be  secondary  considerations  in  our  estimate  of  pulpit 
qualification  that  led  Daniel  Webster  to  say,  on  uniting 
with  the  people  of  God:  "I  believe  that  the  refinements 
and  subtilities  of  human  wisdom  are  more  likely  to  obscure 
than  to  enlighten  the  revealed  will  of  God,  and  that  he 
is  the  most  accomplished  Christian  scholar  who  has  been 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  197 

educated  at  the  feet  of  Jesus,  and  in  the  college  of  fisher- 
men." 

Believing  as  we  do  that  acquaintance  with  God  and  an 
earnest  desire  to  promote  his  cause  are  the  first  qualifica- 
tions for  real  usefulness  in  the  gospel  ministry,  it  is  a  pleas- 
ure to  rescue  from  the  receding  past  such  pictures  as  are 
presented  to  us  in  the  lives  of  such  men  as  Reuben  Ellis. 
This  world  never  saw  a  grander  or  more  devoted  and  self- 
sacrificing  body  of  men  than  the  founders  of  American 
Methodism,  but  we  must  remember,  what  we  are  sometimes 
prone  to  forget,  that  they  were  not  angels,  but  men.  In  all 
the  moral  grandeur  of  their  attachment  to  the  work  of  ex- 
alting humanity,  we  will  find,  if  we  look,  the  lurkings  of 
human  weakness;  and,  strange  and  inconsistent  as  it  may 
seem,  while  we  admire  their  devotedness  to  Christ,  we  will 
sometimes  be  called  upon  to  deplore  evidences  of  a  far  less 
commendable  spirit.  All  along  the  pathway  of  Methodist 
progress  we  find  the  stones  which  mark  the  ruin  of  those 
who  fell  ingloriously  by  the  way,  and  the  histories  of  the 
purest  and  best  are  too  often  blurred  by  instances  of  petty 
jealousy  and  strife  which  the  faithful,  truthful  pen  of  his- 
tory must  record.  In  the  midst  of  all  the  contentions  and 
rivalries  which  now  and  then  led  to  disruptions  and  separa- 
tions, it  is  pleasing  to  note  a  character  superior  to  all  mo- 
tives of  personal  ambition,  and  ever  ready  to  throw  the 
mantle  of  charity  over  the  foibles  of  his  brethren;  a  "lover 
of  union,"  desiring  most  of  all  to  preserve  the  peace  of  the 
Church,  promote  the  spiritual  interests  of  God's  people,  and 
extend  the  borders  of  his  kingdom.  Such  a  man  was  Reu- 
ben Ellis,  "a  native  of  North  Carolina,"  who  entered  the 
itinerancy  in  1777,  for  nearly  twenty  years  filled  some  of 
the  most  important  and  responsible  positions  in  the  Church, 
and  died  leaving  a  name  so  fragrant  with  the  incense  of  ho- 
liness as  to  draw  from  his  brethren  the  eulogy :  "  It  is  doubt- 


198  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

ful  whether  there  be  one  left  in  all  the  Connection  higher, 
if  equal,  in  standing,  piety,  and  usefulness." 

The  first  years  of  his  itinerant  life  were  spent  on  Amelia 
and  Mecklenburg  circuits  in  Virginia,  where  his  labors  re- 
sulted in  great  religious  awakenings.  These  revivals,  in  the 
more  retired  parts  of  the  South,  relieve,  in  part,  the  gloomy 
picture  which  the  history  of  Methodism,  at  that  time,  pre- 
sents. The  war-clouds  had  gathered  over  the  colonies ;  the 
people  were  engaged  in  a  bloody  struggle  for  civil  liberty. 
As  is  always  the  case  under  such  circumstances,  the  cause 
of  religion  suffered.  One  by  one  important  points — as,  for 
instance,  Norfolk  and  New  York — had  to  be  left  unsupplied 
with  preachers,  as  they  were  occupied  by  the  enemy.  But 
the  Revolution,  which  was  cradling  a  new  republic,  was 
also  laying  the  foundations  for  a  new  Church  organization. 
Hitherto  the  Methodists  had  sent  only  lay  preachers  into 
the  field.  They  had  no  ordained  ministers  in  America,  and 
they  earnestly  enjoined  their  people  to  go  to  the  Church  of 
England  to  receive  the  ordinances.  It  is  a  matter  of  history 
that  the  ministers  of  that  body  were  not  as  a  rule,  at  that 
time,  noted  for  piety.  There  would  never  have  been  such  a 
sect  as  the  Methodists  but  for  the  corruptions  in  the  mother 
Church.  There  were,  it  is  true,  notable  exceptions  to  the 
rule  in  the  ministry  of  the  Establishment.  The  Rev.  Dev- 
ereux  Jarratt,  of  Virginia,  rendered  the  Methodists  great 
service  by  uniting  heartily  with  them  in  their  efforts  to  pro- 
mote vital  godliness,  and  by  administering  to  them  the 
ordinances;  but  there  were  not  enough  Jarratts  to  keep 
pace  with  the  advancement  of  the  new  movement.  As  souls 
were  brought  to  a  knowledge  of  the  truth  and  happily  con- 
verted to  God,  they  began  to  complain  of  the  necessity  of 
receiving  the  sacraments  at  the  hands  of  men  no  better  than 
the  world.  The  preachers  themselves  began  to  feel  the 
necessity  for  providing  some  better  means  for  administering 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  199 

the  sacraments.  The  question  was  brought  up,  again  and 
again,  at  their  yearly  meetings  only  to  be  overruled  by  the 
majority.  But  the  sentiment  grew  and  became  so  strong 
that  at  the  Conference  held  at  Deer  Creek,  Maryland,  in 
1778 — at  which  Mr.  Waiters,  in  the  absence  of  all  the  En- 
glish preachers,  presided — it  was  only  disposed  of  by  unani- 
mously agreeing  to  refer  it  to  the  next  Conference  for 
decisive  action.  This  "next  Conference"  was  held  at  the 
Broken-back  Church,  in  Fluvanna  county,  Virginia,  May 
18,  1779.  In  the  meantime,  Mr.  Rankin  had  returned  to 
England,  and  Mr.  Asbury,  on  whom  the  superintendency 
devolved,  was  confined  to  the  hospitable  home  of  Judge 
White  in  Delaware,  on  account  of  political  persecution,  and 
could  not  attend  the  regular  session  of  the  Conference  in 
Virginia.  Therefore,  to  forestall  the  anticipated  action  of 
the  brethren  in  Virginia,  a  Conference  was  held  at  Mr. 
White's,  beginning  April  28 — a  few  weeks  previous  to  the 
time  set  apart  for  the  regular  session — a  protest  was  issued 
against  any  action  in  regard  to  the  ordinances,  and  Mr. 
Watters  was  commissioned  to  communicate  the  sentiments 
of  the  Northern  preachers  to  the  Conference  in  Virginia. 
But  the  Southern  brethren  were  not  to  be  dissuaded.  After 
attending  to  the  jireliniinary  business,  and  after  gravely 
discussing  the  subject  which  most  engaged  their  attention, 
they  agreed  upon  a  plan  for  administering  the  sacraments, 
and  set  forth  their  reasons  for  the  step  taken  on  the  minutes. 
We  quote: 

"Question  14.  What  are  our  reasons  for  taking  up  the 
administration  of  the  ordinances  among  us? 

"Answer.  Because  the  Episcopal  Establishment  is  now 
dissolved,  and  therefore  in  almost  all  our  circuits  the  mem- 
bers are  without  the  ordinances — we  believe  it  to  be  our 
duty." 

Eighteen  traveling  preachers  indorsed  this  step.     Philip 


200  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

Gatch,  Reuben  Ellis,  James  Foster,  and  LeRoy  Cole  were 
constituted  a  presbytery,  and  were  authorized, 

"  1.  To  administer  the  ordinances  themselves. 

"  2.  To  authorize  any  preacher  or  preachers  approved  by 
them,  by  the  form  of  laying  on  of  hands." 

They  were  to  rebaptize  none.  Baptism  was  to  be  admin- 
istered "by  sprinkling  or  plunging,  as  the  parent  or  adult 
should  choose ; "  the  sign  of  the  cross  was  not  to  be  used  in 
•administering  the  Lord's  Supper,  kneeling  was  thought  to 
be  the  most  proper  attitude  for  the  recipient,  but,  in  cases 
of  conscience,  this  was  to  be  left  to  the  choice  of  the  com- 
municant. 

At  this  Conference  the  first  Friday  after  each  quarterly- 
meeting  was  set  apart  as  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer.  The 
term  of  a  traveling  preacher's  probation  was  extended  from 
one  to  two  years,  and  it  was  agreed  that  any  preacher  should 
be  expelled  who  "received  money  by  subscription." 

The  presbytery  first  ordained  themselves,  and  then  pro- 
ceeded to  ordain  others.  Thus  ordained,  they  went  forth 
administering  the  sacraments. .  This  action  of  the  Southern 
brethren  led  to  a  temporary  division  of  the  Methodists. 

At  the  ensuing  Conference  of  the  Northern  preachers,  held 
at  Baltimore  in  April,  1780,  the  following  resolutions  were 
passed : 

"Question  20.  Does  this  whole  Conference  disapprove  the 
step  our  brethren  in  Virginia  have  taken? 

"Answer.  Yes. 

"  Question  21.  Do  we  look  upon  them  as  no  longer  Meth- 
odists in  connection  with  Mr.  Wesley  and  us  until  they  come 
back? 

"Answer.  Yes." 

Philip  Gatch  and  Keuben  Ellis  attended  this  Conference 
in  the  interest  of  peace,  and  to  bring  about  a  reconciliation ; 
but  they   met   no  encouragement  —  indeed,   Mr.   Watters 


///  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  201 

was  the  only  one  of  the  preachers  who  treated  them  with 
affection  and  tenderness.  Before  adjourning,  however,  wiser 
counsels  prevailed,  and  Asbury,  Garrettson,  and  Wattera 
were  commissioned  to  attend  the  ensuing  Conference  in  Vir- 
ginia, inform  the  Southern  brethren  of  their  proceedings  in 
'regard  to  them,  and  receive  their  answer. 

This  Conference  convened  at  Manakin  Town,  Powhatan 
county,  Virginia,  on  the  8th  of  May,  1780.  Asbury  arrived 
here  to  find  that  Garrettson  and  Watters  had  tried  in  vain 
to  induce  the  brethren  to  retrace  their  steps  in  the  matter. 
The  sentiment  for  administering  the  sacraments  was  stronger 
than  ever.  John  Dickens  was  opposed  to  longer  union  with 
the  Episcopal  Church.  The  brethren  argued  that  they  were 
more  than  ever  convinced  of  the  wisdom  of  their  course,  since 
God  had  blessed  them  in  pursuing  it.  It  was  a  critical 
time.  Asbury  spoke  before  the  Conference,  beseeching  them 
to  alter  their  course.  Their  answer  was  that  if  he  would 
provide  for  supplying  the  people  with  the  sacraments  they 
would  desist.  This  he  was  unable  to  do.  He  then  proposed 
to  them  to  suspend  the  measures  they  had  taken  for  one 
year,  advise  with  Mr.  Wesley,  and  meet  in  a  sort  of  general 
conference  in  Baltimore  the  next  year.  After  an  hour's 
deliberation,  they  decided  that  they  could  not  accede  to  the 
terms  of  union.  It  was  a  time  of  weeping.  Asbury  retired 
to  the  house  where  he  lodged,  and  Garrettson  and  Watters 
retreated  to  the  room  over  the  one  occupied  by  the  Confer- 
ence, and  engaged  in  prayer.  It  was  the  offering  of  broken 
hearts,  and  the  incense  of  the  sacrifice  ascended  to  heaven. 
While  they  were  thus  engaged,  the  Conference  reconsidered 
its  action  and  agreed  to  accept  Asbury's  proposition.  Now 
was  a  time  of  rejoicing.  The  breach  was  closed.  Eighteen 
preachers  and  three  thousand  members  were  saved  to  Meth-. 
odism.  They  had  preaching  by  Mr.  Watters,  on  the  text, 
"We  are  journeying  unto  the  place  of  which  the  Lord  said, 


202  Tlie  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

I  will  give  it  you;  come  thou  with  us,  and  we  will  do  thee 
good;  for  the  Lord  hath  spoken  good  concerning  Israel." 
Then  followed  a  love-feast.  Preachers  and  people  wept. 
Christian  love  and  sympathy  had  triumphed.  "Jt  was  a 
jubilee  of  joy."  Tims  was  the  first  breach  in  Methodism 
happily  closed ;  and  the  preachers,  learning  lessons  of  mutual 
sympathy  and  forbearance,  were  drawn  closer  to  each  other. 
Asbury  recognized,  in  the  happy  termination  of  the  difficul- 
ties, the  hand  of  God.  He  felt  it  to  be  the  direct  answer  to 
prayer.  May  we  not  cherish  the  hope  that  as  all  the  fac- 
tions of  Methodism  in  this  day — the  divisions  of  a  grand 
army — draw  nearer  to  Christ,  we  may  draw  nearer  to  each 
other?  The  "Christmas  Conference"  of  1784  settled  the 
ordinance  question  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  parties,  and 
here  Reuben  Ellis  was  ordained  an  elder.  At  the  Confer- 
ence held  at  Green  Hill's  in  April  following,  he  was  ap- 
pointed to  one  of  the  three  presiding  elder  districts  into 
which  the  State  of  North  Carolina  was  divided.  His  work 
embraced  Wilmington,  New  River,  Tar  River,  Roanoke, 
New  Hope,  and  Guilford  circuits.  Wilmington  was  not  at 
that  time  a  city  appointment,  but  a  circuit,  embracing,  it 
seems,  what  are  now  New  Hanover,  Brunswick,  Columbus, 
Bladen,  Robeson,  and  Cumberland  counties — possibly  oth- 
ers. It  is  mentioned  as  "  Wilmington"  for  only  a  few  years, 
and  then  called  "  Bladen  Circuit."  Rapid  as  was  the  growth 
of  Methodism,  it  was  several  years  after  this  before  the  Meth- 
odists had  a  "stationed  preacher"  in  North  Carolina.  Even 
as  late  as  December  22,  1796,  we  find  Bishop  Asbury  writ- 
ing in  his  journal,  "  If  we  had  men  and  money,  it  would  be 
well  to  station  a  preacher  in  such  places  as  Wilmington ; " 
and  in  the  year  1800,  when  it  was  made  a  station,  and  Na- 
than Jarratt  was  appointed  there,  the  membership  numbered 
only  forty-eight  white  and  two  hundred  and  thirty-one  col- 
ored people.     New  River  Circuit,  in  1785,  seems  to  have 


Iii  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  203 

embraced  Onslow,  Jones,  Carteret,  Craven,  and  perhaps 
Lenoir  and  Duplin.  New  Berne  was  the  principal  appoint- 
ment, but  Swansboro,  Queen's  Creek,  and  Richland's,  in 
Onslow  county,  were  considered  important  points.  This 
iield  was  manned  by  Philip  Bruce,  of  whom  we  speak  more 
at  length  in  another  sketch.  While  we  have  but  little  in- 
formation as  to  the  circuit  boundaries  at  that  time,  we  can 
form  some  idea  of  a  pioneer  presiding  elder's  field  of  labor 
from  the  fact  that  Ellis's  district  extended  from  Greensboro 
to  Wilmington,  and  from  Fayetteville  to  New  Berne. 

But,  fatiguing  as  were  the  duties  of  the  office,  it  was  in 
this  sort  of  work  that  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life. 
His  travels  extended  from  Maryland  to  Georgia,  and  he  had 
the  pleasure  of  seeing  the  work  of  the  Lord  prosper  in  his 
hand.  Lender  his  preaching  there  were  mighty  awakenings ; 
souls  were  converted,  churches  sprung  up,  and  circuits  were 
formed.  An  unselfish,  sweet-spirited  Christian,  the  one  aim 
of  his  life  was  to  make  full  proof  of  the  blessed  ministry 
which  had  been  committed  to  his  trust.  His  self-sacrificing 
spirit  is  shown  in  the  fact  that  in  nearly  twenty  years  of 
active,  laborious  work  for  the  Church  he  did  not  accumulate 
twenty  pounds.  Nor  did  he  desire  any  thing  more  than  he 
received.  The  necessaries  of  life  were  all  that  he  asked  of 
this  world. 

Asbury  esteemed  him  highly,  and  accounted  him  a  wise 
counselor.  He  was  always  of  slender  constitution,  but  did 
not  hesitate  to  go  to  any  appointment  assigned  him — ever 
ready  to  brave  death  to  carry  the  word  of  life  to  perishing 
souls. 

During  the  last  year  of  his  ministry  he  committed  an  act 
which  his  brethren  seem  to  have  thought  inconsistent  with' 
the  development  of  the  highest  type  of  piety — he  married. 
They  allude  rather  mournfully  and  regretfully  to  that  fact 
in  their  notice  of  his  death.     We  quote:  "Although  he 


204  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

married  in  the  last  year  of  his  life,  he,  like  a  Fletcher,  lived 
as  on  the  verge  of  eternity,  enjoying  much  of  the  presence 
of  God."  Perhaps  they  considered  this  step  as  an  indica- 
tion of  weakening  zeal  for  Christ  and  a  growing  attachment 
to  the  world.  Asbury  viewed  the  matter  from  a  different 
stand-point,  and,  on  hearing  of  his  marriage,  wrote  good- 
naturedly:  "Brother  Reuben  Ellis  is  certainly  married  for 
the  first  time ;  may  it  be  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  good 
of  his  Church,  and  comfort  of  the  dear  man  and  wife." 

He  did  not  long  survive  his  marriage.  After  a  short  ill- 
ness, he  ended  his  warfare  in  the  city  of  Baltimore  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1796,  leaving  to  the  Church  of  his  choice  the  legacy 
of  a  good  name  and  the  benefits  of  a  long  and  useful  minis- 
try. He  was  universally  admired,  respected,  and  beloved ; 
and  justly  so,  for  he  lived  above  all  selfish  aims,  and  his 
whole  ministerial  life  was  a  commentary  on  the  gospel  which 
he  preached,  and  an  exhibition  of  the  love  that  "  beareth 
all  things,  believeth  all*  things,  hopeth  all  things,  and  en- 
dureth  all  things."  

RICHARD  WHATCOAT. 

AS  a  man  of  God,  as  a  devoted  follower  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  patient  in  suffering,  earnest  and  fearless 
in  the  discharge  of  duty,  walking  with  God,  dead  to  the 
world,  and  living  for  eternity,  no  name  shines  brighter  on 
the  roll  of  the  heroes  of  Methodism  than  does  that  of  Rich- 
ard Whatcoat,  third  bishop  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  The  story  of  his  early  life  we  will  let  him  tell  in 
his  own  words: 

"I  was  born,"  says  he,  "in  the  year  1736,  in  the  parish 
of  Quinton,  in  the  county  of  Gloucester.  My  father,  dying 
while  I  was  young,  left  a  widow  and  five  children.  At  thir- 
teen years  old  I  was  bound  apprentice,  and  served  for  eight 
years.     I  was  never  heard  during  this  time  to  swear  a  vain 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  205 

oath,  nor  was  ever  given  to  lying,  gaming,  drunkenness,  or 
any  other  presumptuous  sin,  but  was  commended  for  my 
honesty  and  sobriety.  And  from  my  childhood  I  had  at 
times  serious  thoughts  on  death  and  eternity. 

"I  served  the  greatest  part  of  my  apprenticeship  at  Dar- 
laston,  in  Staffordshire,  but  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  I  re- 
moved from  thence  to  Wednesburg.  Here  I  found  myself 
in  continual  danger  of  losing  the  little  religion  I  had,  as  the 
family  in  which  I  lived  had  no  religion  at  all.  Therefore  I 
took  the  first  opportunity  that  offered  of  removing  to  another 
place.  And  a  kind  Providence  directed  me  to  a  family  that 
feared  God  and  wrought  righteousness. 

"  I  soon  went  with  them  to  hear  the  Methodists,  which  I 
did  with  deep  attention ;  and  when  the  preacher  was  describ- 
ing the  fall  of  man,  I  thought  he  spoke  to  me  in  particular, 
and  spoke  as  if  he  had  known  every  thing  that  ever  was  in 
my  heart.  When  he  described  the  nature  and  fruits  of  faith, 
I  was  conscious  I  had  it  not ;  and  though  I  believed  all  the 
Scripture  to  be  of  God,  yet  I  had  not  the  marks  of  a  Chris- 
tian believer."  Again  I  was  convinced  that  if  I  died  in  the 
state  wherein  I  then  was  I  should  be  miserable  forever. 
Yet  I  could  not  conceive  how  I,  that  had  lived  so  sober  a 
life,  could  be  the  chief  of  sinners.  But  this  was  not  long, 
for  I  no  sooner  discovered  the  spirituality  of  the  law,  and 
the  enmity  that  was  in  my  heart  against  God,  than  I  could 
heartily  agree  to  it.  The  thoughts  of  death  and  judgment 
now  struck  me  with  terrible  fear.  I  had  a  keen  apprehen- 
sion of  the  wrath  of  God,  and  of  the  fiery  indignation  due 
to  sinners;  so  that  I  could  have  wished  myself  annihilated, 
or  to  be  the  vilest  creature,  if  I  could  but  escape  judgment. 
In  this  state  I  was  when  one  told  me, '  I  know  God,  for  Christ's 
sake,  has  forgiven  all  my  sins,  and  Ma  Spirit  witnesseth  with 
■m;/  spirit  that  I  am  a  child  of  God.'  This  gave  me  a  good 
deal  of  encouragement,  and  I  determined  never  to  rest  until 


206  Tlie  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

J  had  a  testimony  in  myself  that  my  sins  also  were  forgiven. 
But  in  the  meantime,  such  was  the  darkness  I  was  in,  such 
was  my  consciousness  of  guilt  and  the  just  displeasure  of 
Almighty  God,  that  I  could  find  no  rest  day  nor  night  either 
for  soul  or  body.  So  that  life  was  a  burden,  and  I  became 
regardless  of  all  things  under  the  sun.  Now  all  my  virt- 
ues, which  I  had  some  reliance  on  once,  appeared  as  filthy 
rags;  and  many  discouraging  thoughts  were  put  into  my 
mind;  as,  'Many  are  called,  but  jew  chosen;'  'Hath  not  the 
potter  power  over  his  own  clay,  to  make  one  vessel  to  honor  and 
another  to  dishonor?'  From  which  it  was  suggested  to  me 
that  I  was  made  to  dishonor,  and  so  must  inevitably  perish. 
"On  September  3,  1758,  being  overwhelmed  with  guilt 
and  fear,  as  I  was  reading,  it  was  as  if  one  whispered  to  me : 
'  Thou  hadst  better  read  no  more ;  for  the  more  thou  readest, 
the  more  thou  wilt  know.  "And  he  that  Jcnoiveth  the  Lord's 
will,  and  doeth  it  not,  shall  be  beaten  with  many  strijyes."'  I 
paused  a  little,  and  then  resolved,  Let  the  consequence  be 
what  it  may,  I  will  proceed.  When  I  came  to  those  words, 
'The  Spirit  itself  beareth  witness  with  our  spirit*  that  we  are 
the  children  of  God,'  as  I  fixed  my  eyes  upon  them,  in  a  mo- 
ment my  darkness  was  removed,  and  the  Spirit  did  bear  wit- 
ness with  my  spirit  that  I  was  a  child  of  God.  In  the  same 
instant  I  was  filled  with  unspeakable  peace  and  joy  in  be- 
lieving; and  all  fear  of  death,  judgment,  and  hell  suddenly 
vanished  away.  Before  this,  I  was  kept  awake  by  anguish 
and  fear,  so  that  I  could  not  get  an  hour's  sound  sleep  in  a 
night.  Now  I  wanted  not  sleep,  being  abundantly  refreshed 
by  contemplating  the  rich  display  of  God's  mercy  in  adopt- 
ing so  unworthy  a  creature  as  me  to  be  an  heir  of  the  king- 
dom of  heaven.  This  peace  and  joy  continued  about* three 
weeks,  after  which  it  was  suggested  to  me :  '  Hast  thou  not 
deceived  thyself?  Is  it  not  presumption  to  think  thou  art 
a  child  of  God?     But  if  thou  art,  thou  wilt  soon  fall  away; 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  207 

thou  wilt  not  endure  to  the  end.'  This  threw  me  into  great 
heaviness,  but  it  did  not  continue  long;  for  as  I  gave  my- 
self unto  prayer,  and  to  reading  and  hearing  the  word  of 
God  at  all  opportunities,  my  evidence  became  clearer  and 
clearer,  my  faith  and  love  stronger  and  stronger.  And  I 
found  the  accomplishment  of  that  promise,  lThey  that  waU 
upon  the  Lord  shall  renew  their  strength.'  Yet  I  soon  found 
that  though  I  was  justified  freely  I  was  not  wholly  sanctified. 
This  brought  me  into  a  deep  concern,  and  confirmed  my  res- 
olution to  admit  of  no  peace — no,  nor  truce — with  the  evils 
which  I  still  found  in  my  heart.  I  was  sensible  both  that 
they  hindered  me  at  present  in  all  my  holy  exercises  and 
that  I  could  not  enter  into  the  joy  of  my  Lord  unless  they 
were  all  rooted  out.  These  considerations  led  me  to  consid- 
er more  attentively  the  exceeding  great  and  precious  prom- 
ises whereby  we  may  escape  all  the  corruption  that  is  in  the 
world,  and  be  made  partakers  of  the  divine  nature.  I  was 
much  confirmed  in  my  hope  of  their  accomplishment  by 
frequently  hearing  Mr.  Mather  speak  upon  the  subject.  I 
saw  it  was  the  mere  gift  of  God,  and  consequently  to  be  re- 
ceived by  faith.  And  after  many  sharp  and  painful  con- 
flicts, and  many  gracious  visitations,  on  March  28,  1761,  my 
spirit  was  drawn  out  and  engaged  in  wrestling  with  God  for 
about  two  hours,  in  a  manner  I  never  knew  before.  Sud- 
denly I  was  stripped  of  all  but  love.  I  was  all  love  and 
prayer  and  praise;  and  in  this  happy  state  rejoicing  ever- 
more, and  in  every  thing  giving  thanks,  I  continued  for 
some  years,  wanting  nothing  for  soul  or  body  more  than  I 
received  from  day  to  day. 

"  I  began  to  look  around,  and  to  observe  more  than  ever 
the  whole  world  full  of  sin  and  misery.  I  felt  a  strong  de- 
sire for  others  to  partake  of  the  same  happiness  with  myself. 
I  longed  to  declare  unto  them  what  I  knew  of  our  Saviour. 
But  I  first  sat  down  to  count  the  cost,  and  being  then  fully 


208  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

convinced  of  my  duty,  I  began  to  exhort  those  of  the  neigh- 
boring towns  to  repent  and  believe  the  gospel.  This  I  did  for 
about  a  year  and  a  half,  but  was  still  convinced  I  might  be 
more  useful  as  a  traveling  preacher.  This  I  mentioned  to 
Mr.  Pawson  a  little  before  the  Conference  in  17G9.  A  lit- 
tle after  it,  he  wrote  and  let  me  know  that  he  had  proposed 
me  at  the  Conference,  and  that  I  was  accepted  as  a  proba- 
tioner and  stationed  in  the  Oxfordshire  Circuit.  Having 
settled  my  temporal  affairs  with  all  the  expedition  I  could, 
I  went  into  the  circuit,  and  was  received  far  better  than  I 
expected;  and  I  found  that  affection  for  the  people  which 
never  since  Avore  off.  After  spending  some  time  very  agree- 
ably there — I  believe  to  our  mutual  satisfaction — I  removed 
to  Bedford  Circuit,  where  I  remained  till  the  Conference  in 
1774.  I  was  then  appointed  for  Inniskillen  Circuit,  in  the 
north  of  Ireland.  This  was  a  trial  to  me  on  several  ac- 
counts. I  was  an  utter  stranger  to  Ireland,  of  which  I  had 
heard  little  good  spoken ;  I  had  a  great  aversion  to  sea  voy- 
ages; and  what  troubled  me  more  than  all  was  that  my 
mother  was  on  her  dying-bed.  But  she  knew  and  loved  the 
work  in  which  I  was  engaged,  so  she  willingly  gave  me  up 
to  the  Lord,  though  she  did  not  expect  to  see  me  any  more 
till  we  met  in  eternity.  In  this  circuit  I  found  many  things 
that  were  not  pleasing  to  flesh  and  blood.  It  took  us  eight 
weeks  to  go  through  it,  and  in  this  time  we  slept  in  near  fifty 
different  j)laces,  some  of  them  cold  enough,  some  damp  enough, 
and  others  not  very  clean.  We  commonly  preached  two  or 
three  times  a  day,  besides  meeting  the  societies  and  visiting 
the  sick;  and  very  frequently  we  had  no  other  food  than 
potatoes  and  a  little  salt  meat." 

On  the  occasion  of  a  call  from  America  for  ordained 
preachers,  Wesley,  on  the  first  day  of  September,  1784,  as- 
sisted (according  to  the  custom  of  the  English  Church)  by 
two  presbyters — Creighton  and  Coke — ordained  him  first  a 


///  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  42(K) 

deacon  and  then  an  elder,  and  then  appointed  him  a  mis- 
sionary to  America.  He  was  accompanied  by  his  fellow- 
missionary  Yasey,  and  Coke,  who  had  been  appointed  "su- 
perintendent" by  Wesley.  They  set  sail  on  the  18th  of 
September,  and  after  a  stormy  passage  of  more  than  six 
weeks,  landed  in  New  York  on  the  3d  of  November.  Here 
a  wide  field  of  usefulness  invited  his  toil.  He  entered  with- 
out delay  upon  his  mission,  preaching  and  administering  the 
sacraments  through  the  Middle  States,  until  the  Christmas  Con- 
ference met  in  the  city  of  Baltimore,  when  he  assisted  in  the 
formation  of  the  separate  Church  organization  there  decided 
upon.~  We  then  find  him  traveling  through  Maryland  and 
Delaware,  preaching  almost  every  day,  sometimes  twice,  and 
administering  the  sacraments.  It  is  said  that  in  Kent  coun- 
ty he  baptized  seventy-five  persons  in  one  day,  so  long  had 
the  ordinance  been  neglected.  Wherever  he  went  his  pres- 
ence was  regarded  a  benediction,  and  his  preaching  was  ac- 
companied with  the  convicting,  converting,  and  comforting 
influences  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  following  extract  from 
a  letter  which  he  wrote  to  his  brother  missionary  in  Noya 
Scotia,  Garrettson,  will  give  us  some  idea  of  the  spirit  of  the 
man  in  entering  upon  his  new  field.  The  letter  was  written 
from  Elkton,  Md.,  in  1785: 

"I  am  in  a  strange  land,"  says  he,  "and  I  think  my  nat- 
ural disposition  is  to  be  little  and  unknown,  content  to  live 
and  die  to  God  alone ;  and  I  find  a  willing  mind  to  go  to 
the  ends  of  the  earth  if  I  can  help  forward  the  Eedeemer's 
cause  thereby.  We  have  had  a  quickening  among  the  peo- 
ple in  these  parts ;  some  great  quarter-meetings — happy  sea- 
sons to  my  own  soul  and  many  others.  Glory  be  to  God  for 
all  his  mercies!" 

In  1786  he  labored  in  Philadelphia  and  the  surrounding 
country,  and  in  1787  we  find  him  penetrating,  the  wilds  of 
Western  Pennsylvania,  where  he  spent  nearly  fourteen 
14 


210  The  Ptoneers  of  Methodism 

months,  preaching  in  barns  and  in  the  woods,  but  every- 
where leaving  upon  the  minds  of  the  people  the  impress  of 
a  man  dead  to  the  world  and  alive  to  God. 

In  1787  he  was  appointed  by  Wesley  to  the  office  of  super- 
intendent, but  the  Conference  refused  to  elect  him,  through 
fear  that  Wesley  would  recall  Asbury  to  England.  Coke, 
who  was  present  at  the  Conference,  contended  that  that  body 
was  bound  to  obey  Wesley  by  its  pledge  given  at  the  Confer- 
ence of  1784,  that  "during  Mr.  Wesley's  life  we  acknowledge 
ourselves  his  sons  in  the  gospel,  ready  in  matters  belonging 
to  Church  government  to  obey  his  commands."  But  the 
Conference  argued  that  "  as  they  had  made  the  engagement 
of  their  own  accord,  and  among  themselves,  they  had  a 
right  to  depart  therefrom  when  they  pleased,  seeing  it  was 
not  a  contract  made  with  Mr.  Wesley,  or  any  other  person, 
but  an  agreement  among  themselves."  Of  this  pledge  As- 
bury says:  "I  never  approved  of  that  binding  minute.  I 
did  not  think  it  practical  expediency  to  obey  Mr.  Wesley, 
at  three  thousand  miles'  distance,  in  all  matters  relative  to 
Church  government ;  neither  did  Brother  Whatcoat  nor  sev- 
eral others.  At  the  first  General  Conference  I  was  mute 
and  modest  when  it  passed,  and  I  was  mute  when  it  was 
expunged.  For  this  Mr.  Wesley  blamed  me,  and  was  dis- 
pleased that  I  did  not  reject  the  whole  Connection,  or  leave 
them,  if  they  did  not  comply.  But  I  could  not  give  up  the 
Connection  so  easily,  after  laboring  so  many  years  for  them." 

In  1788-9  Whatcoat  was  appointed  elder  over  sixteen  large 
circuits,  his  district  extending  from  Philadelphia  to  Pittsburg 
and  Bedstone,  and  from  the  Maryland  peninsula  to  Ohio. 
During  the  latter  part  of  the  latter  year  he  began  to  travel 
with  Asbury.  Their  route  lay  to  the  north  as  far  as  New 
York,  then  across  the  Alleghanies  as  far  as  Pittsburg, 
thence  to  Uniontown,  "where  he  assisted  at  the  first  ordi- 
nation beyond  the  mountains."     Returning  to  Baltimore, 


Ill  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  211 

they  proceeded  south,  through  Virginia,  North  and  South 
Carolina,  to  Charleston,  where  they  held  a  Conference  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1790.  Of  this  Conference  Whatcoat  writes :  "  The 
Lord  was  present  in  power,  the  saints  were  glad,  and  the 
wicked  offended."  From  this  point  they  proceeded  into 
Georgia,  and  thence  to  Tennessee  and  Kentucky.  On  their 
return  to  Baltimore,  they  had  to  perform  the  mournful  task 
of  laying  John  Tunnell  to  rest  in  his  grave  in  the  mountains. 

We  next  find  him  traveling  through  the  Middle  States. 
In  1791  he  was  stationed  in  New  York  City.  The  follow- 
ing year  he  was  appointed  to  Baltimore,  where  he  welcomed 
the  first  regular  General  Conference,  which  held  its  session 
in  that  city.  During  the  three  following  years  he  served  as 
presiding  elder  in  Maryland  and  New  Jersey. 

In  1797-8-9  he  was  presiding  elder  on  a  district  in  Vir- 
ginia and  North  Carolina,  extending  from  James  River  to 
Roanoke,  and  from  the  mountains  to  the  sea -board.  It 
embraced  Cumberland,  Amelia,  Greensville,  Mecklenburg, 
Brunswick,  Sussex,  Bertie,  Portsmouth,  Norfolk,  and  Cam- 
den circuits.  "  On  this  district,"  says  he, "  we  passed  through 
and  touched  on  thirty  counties  in  Virginia  and  North  Caro- 
lina. It  took  me  about  six  or  between  that  and  seven  hun- 
dred miles  to  go  through  my  district  once  in  three  months. 
AVe  had  a  great  revival  in  several  parts  of  this  district.  I 
filled  up  my  time  with  a  good  degree  of  peace  and  consola- 
tion." 

It  was  from  this  field  that  he  was,  at  the  General  Con- 
ference of  1800,  elected  to  the  office  of  bishop.  Probably 
a  wiser  selection  could  not  have  been  made.  No  sooner 
had  he  been  elevated  to  the  episcopacy  than  there  appeared 
a  forward  movement  all  along  the  lines  of  American  Meth- 
odism. A  glorious  revival  wave  swept  almost  the  entire 
Connection.  Although  advanced  in  years,  he  yet  traveled 
from  three  to  four  thousand  miles  a  year,  preaching  almost 


212  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

every  day,  and  holding  Conferences,  sometimes  in  company 
with  Bishop  Asbury  and  sometimes  alone,  but  always  with 
satisfaction  to  his  brethren.  He  left  the  impression  upon 
the  preachers  and  people  of  one  who  realized  that  his  home 
wag  in  heaven.  He  was  the  Marvin  of  the  pioneers.  He 
seemed  to  be  looking  forward  only  to  eternity,  and  march- 
ing directly  there.  A  Methodist  authority  says:  "My  late 
lamented  friend,  Dr.  Thomas  E.  Bond,  sr.,  who  knew  him 
well,  said  to  me :  '  He  was  one  of  the  purest  spirits  I  ever 
knew.  Everybody  about  the  house  loved  him — cats,  dogs, 
and  all.'  Mary  Snethen  said  to  me  that  of  all  the  pure  and 
holy  men  that  came  to  that  old  parsonage  [John  Street],  he 
seemed  to  be  the  most  heavenly -minded.  He  talked  of 
heaven,  he  sung  of  heaven,  and  meditated  of  heaven." 
OVakeley.) 

"He  sustained  his  episcopal  functions,"  says  Dr.  Stevens, 
"  with  continual  disability  from  chronic  disease,  but  was  ever 
in  motion  throughout  the  whole  extent  of  the  Church,  North, 
South,  East,  and  West.  His  beautiful  character  preached 
more  effectually  than  his  sermons.  Peculiarly  simple,  so- 
ber, but  serene  and  cheerful,  living  as  well  as  teaching  his 
favorite  doctrine  of  sanctification,  extremely  prudent  in  his 
administration,  pathetically  impressive  in  discourse,  and 
'made  perfect  through  suffering,'  he  is  preeminently  the 
saint  in  the  primitive  calendar  of  American  Methodism." 

One  who  knew  him  long  and  loved  him  well  says :  "  My 
first  journey  with  him  was  over  the  Alleghany  Mountains 
to  the  frontiers  of  Maryland,  Pennsylvania,  and  Virginia. 
I  found  him  so  fixed  in  the  ways  of  God  that  nothing  could 
disengage  him  or  move  his  patience  so  as  to  make  him  mur- 
mur in  the  least  degree.  He  was  never  wearied  Avith  fa- 
tigue of  riding  or  of  preaching  so  as  to  make  him  abate 
his  private  devotions;  but  after  lecturing  and  praying  sev- 
eral times  a  day  in  public,  on  retiring  he  poured  out  his 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  213 

soul  before  he  laid  his  body  to  rest,  by  which  means  he  was 
ready  to  sound  forth  the  high  praises  of  his  gracious  Re- 
deemer at  all  times  and  on  all  occasions.  His  tours  through 
the  backwoods  were  very  dangerous.  The  Indians  were  not 
then  at  peace  with  the  United  States,  but  remained  hostile, 
and  made  frequent  incursions,  and  destroyed  many  families, 
as  well  as  single  persons,  whenever  they  met  them ;  so  that 
some  whom  he  preached  to  and  baptized  in  these  parts 
were  killed  and  scalped  a  few  weeks  after.  I  think  not 
less  than  seventy  were  miserably  mangled  and  killed  with- 
in a  year  and  a  half  in  and  about  their  own  houses. 

"Whatcoat  appeared  to  be  the  same  at  all  times  and 
under  all  circumstances;  to  be  as  calm  in  the  wilds  as  in 
the  cultivated  fields;  in  the  smoky  cabin  as  in  the  carpet- 
ed parlor ;  amidst  the  clamors  of  untoward  children,  where 
he  was  detained  during  the  mountain  storm  or  flood  of  rain 
that  had  raised  the  rivers  so  that  they  could  not  be  forded. 

"  His  voluntary  labors  and  travels  in  America  proved  his 
strong  attachment  to  the  Redeemer's  cause  and  an  itinerant 
life.  He  refused  honor,  worldly  gain,  and  worldly  pleasure, 
which  were  strewed  at  his  feet.  He  refused  all,  and  preferred 
feeding  the  lambs  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  calling  sinners  to  re- 
pentance, to  all  the  glories  of  the  world.  Wearing  himself 
out  to  give  light  and  heat  to  others,  he  allowed  himself  lit- 
tle rest.  He  arose  at  five  in  the  morning  wherever  he  was, 
even  in  winter,  that  having  communed  first  with  his  Sov- 
ereign he  might  be  early  at  his  studies,  and  well  prepared 
to  declare  the  accepted  time  of  the  Lord  and  the  day  of 
salvation.  His  moderation  was  known  to  all  who  knew 
him.  In  all  things  he  showed  himself  a  pattern — in  piety, 
in  doctrine,  and  in  zeal,  he  was  a  living  witness  of  all  he 
taught  to  others." 

In  1801  the  bishops  estimated  the  extent  of  their  field 
of  labor  to  be  "four  thousand  one  hundred  and  eighty-four 


214  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

miles."  The  travel  was  fatiguing  in  the  extreme,  and  a 
few  extracts  will  show  us  the  character  of  the  work :  "  The 
way  we  traveled  from  Nashville  to  Knoxville,"  says  What- 
coat,  "was  about  two  hundred  and  twenty  miles,  partly  a. 
south-east  course;  but  it  was  trying  to  our  delicate  consti- 
tutions to  ride  through  the  rain  a  great  part  of  the  day 
until  late  in  the  night,  and  then  encamp  on  the  wet  ground, 
the  wind  and  rain  beating  hard  upon  us."  Continuing  their 
journey  from  Knoxville  to  Augusta,  he  says:  "We  took 
nearly  a  south  course  of  above  three  hundred  miles,  but  O 
what  mountains  and  rocks  we  had  to  pass  over!  When  we 
came  within  a  few  miles  of  the  Hot  Springs,  Bishop  Asbury 
got  a  friend  to  lead  his  horse,  but  the  road  being  rough  and 
narrow,  the  horse  stumbled  or  started,  and  turned  the  sulky 
bottom  upward^  between  the  Paint  Rock  and  French  Broad 
River;  but  the  horse  lay  quietly  on  his  back  until  we  re- 
leased the  harness ;  the  carriage  rested  against  a  large  sap- 
ling, which  supported  it  from  going  down  into  the  river." 

The  Virginia  Conference  convened  at  Edmund  Taylor's, 
in  Granville  county,  North  Carolina,  March  1,  1805.  We 
make  a  few  extracts  from  Asbury's  journal,  reciting  his  ad- 
ventures, in  company  with  Whatcoat,  shortly  previous  to 
meeting  this  session : 

"January  14,  1805. — We  came  to  Mr.  Lee's,  dined,  and 
came  on,  lodging  at  Lumbertown,  a  town  of  about  twenty 
families.  On  Tuesday  we  had  another  cold  ride  to  Fayette- 
ville.  At  the  African  meeting-house  I  preached  upon  Heb. 
x.  38,  39.  It  was  a  time  of  feeling — but  eleven  o'clock  was 
no  hour  for  some  folks.  I  was  invited  to  preach  in  the 
State-house,  but  it  did  not  suit  my  mind  at  all — the  object 
of  our  visit  was  a  Methodist  congregation  and  society. 
Home  is  home ;  ours  is  plain,  to  be  sure,  but  it  is  our  duty 
to  condescend  to  men  of  low  estate;  and  therefore  I  felt 
justified  in  declining  the  polite  invitation  of  the  Rev.  Mr. 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  215 

Flinn  to  officiate  in  his  meeting-house.  I  must  take  the 
road  again.  O  what  sweetness  I  feel  as  I  steal  along 
through  the  solitary  woods!  I  am  sometimes  ready  to 
shout  aloud,  and  make  all  vocal  with  the  praises  of  His 
grace  who  died  and  lives  and  intercedes  for  me.  Brother 
Whatcoat  preached  at  night.  I  added  a  few  words — a  sort 
of  gossiping  exhortation. 

"Thursday,  17. — We  crossed  Cape  Fear,  dined  at  Simp- 
son's, and  after  night  stopped  at  the  Widow  Andress's,  a 
stage  house.  On  Friday  we  had  a  stormy  morning.  It 
paid  us  for  a  time,  and  then  cleared  away.  We  came  to 
Moore's  Creek.  We  were  so  near  swimming  I  dipped  my 
heels.  We  stopped  at  Parker's,  dined,  and  continued  on  to 
Negro  Head.  We  had  swamps  and  spring-tides;  and,  be- 
hold, one  of  the  bridges  in  Mr.  Mellett's  rice-field  was  gone! 
Well  for  us  the  overseer — one  of  our  sheep — brought  a  lad- 
der for  us  to  walk  upon ;  and  by  means  of  two  planks  laid 
together  lengthwise  our  horses  passed  over.  We  asked  the 
housekeeper  to  let  us  stay.  She  consented,  little  knowing 
who  we  were,  which  when  she  discovered  the  poor  thing 
was  surprised  and  gladdened.  We  had  a  room,  and  prayed 
and  talked  with  the  blacks,  and  exhorted  them.  On  Sat- 
urday morning  we  crossed  north-east  before  sunrise.  We 
came  to  our  own  house  to  breakfast.  Our  chapel  in  Wil- 
mington is  elegant,  sixty -six  by  thirty-six  feet.  Brother 
Whatcoat  preached  this  morning 

"  Friday,  25. — We  reached  New  Berne,  twenty-six  miles. 
On  Saturday  it  rained.  We  have  happily  escaped  it.  We 
have  made  two  thousand  nine  hundred  and  eighty  miles 
since  General  Conference.  We  lodged  at  the  Widow 
Jones's — her  dear  James  is  gone;  he  appeared  to  be  as 
healthy  as  any  man  in  New  Berne ;  he  went  off  after  a  few 
days'  illness  of  pleurisy  in  the  breast.  Lord,  and  am  I 
yet  alive? 


216  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

"Sabbath,  27,  was  au  awful  day  of  cold  rain.  Few  at- 
tended the  worship  of  God.  In  my  zeal  I  preached  again 
at  night.     I  exposed  myself  and  exerted  myself. 

"Monday,  28. — We  came  away  through  a  cold  wind  to 
Xeuse  Ferry.  Swift  Creek  swam  us,  and  the  waters  of  the 
greater  stream  floated  us  across  in  a  tottering  canoe,  the 
horses  along -side  swimming.  A  twenty -eight  miles'  ride 
brought  us  to  the  Widow  Kichards's  to  lodge.  Arrived  at 
Tar  River,  we  found  it  was  blowing  a  storm.  I  was  unwill- 
ing to  cross.  The  flat  was  nearly  filled  with  water  shortly 
after  we  put  off.     A  boat  came  out  to  take  us  up.     Brother 

Whatcoat  stood  mid-leg  in  Avater Brother  What- 

coat  preached  at  Washington  in  the  evening. 

"  Wednesday,  30. — I  preached  to  a  congregration  of  very 
unfeeling  people.  The  blacks  have  no  gallery.  The  whites 
look  upon  us  with  contempt,     O  Washington !  Washington ! 

"Saturday  [Feb.],  2. — We  stemmed  the  north-east  wind 
twenty  miles  to  cross  the  awful  Roanoke.  For  a  mile  and 
a  half  from  the  ferry  the  fences  were  swept  away.  Dur- 
ing the  freshet,  cattle  and  hogs  and  some  slaves  had  been 
carried  off.  Its  proud  waves  were  stayed  when  we  arrived. 
We  rode  thirty-two  miles  to  Joseph  Penner's,  Northampton, 
without  seeing  the  inside  of  a  house. 

"Friday,  March  1. — We  opened  our  yearly  Conference 
for  Virginia  at  Edmund  Taylor's,  Granville  county,  North 
Carolina.  We  closed  our  sitting  on  Friday  evening  follow- 
ing. I  have  so  frequently  noticed  the  affairs  of  Conferences, 
and  they  are  so  common,  that  I  will  only  observe  of  this  that 
we  added  fourteen  preachers  and  located  four.  Our  busi- 
ness we  conducted  in  great  peace,  and  we  had  preaching  as 
usual.  Our  increase  is  one  thousand  nine  hundred  mem- 
bers." 

Whatcoat  was  now  Hearing  the  end  of  his  pilgrimage. 


Iii  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  217 

His  sun  was  nearing  the  setting,  and  his  spirit,  that  had 
been  so  long  ripening  for  heaven,  was  soon  to  pass  within 
the  gates  of  the  City  of  God.  We  will  only  notice  a  few- 
traits  in  his  character  before  we  close  this  sketch. 

While  a  man  of  great  fortitude,  fearing  no  danger  where 
duty  led  him,  he  was  possessed  of  a  most  serene  temper  and 
heavenly  frame  of  mind.  Asbury  was  more  impetuous — in 
fact,  sometimes  irritable.  As  an  illustration,  the  following 
anecdote  is  related: 

On  one  occasion  Asbury  was  complaining  bitterly  of  the 
annoyance  of  visitors — all  doubtless  eager  to  see  the  bish- 
ops. Whatcoat  quietly  replied,  "  O  Bishop,  how  much  worse 
should  we  feel  were  we  entirely  neglected!"  Asbury  ac- 
knowledged the  reproof,  and  thanked  his  friend  for  admin- 
istering it. 

Whatcoat  was  careful  and  painstaking  in  all  that  he  un- 
dertook. It  is  said  that  he  kept  a  copy  of  the  laws  of  the 
State  in  which  his  fields  of  labor  lay,  also  a  manuscript 
copy  of  the  municipal  laws  of  towns  in  which  he  jn-eached 
or  presided,  so  that  he  might  do  nothing  "  whereby  the  gos- 
pel might  be  blamed." 

He  was  perfectly  free  of  selfish  ambition,  and  his  whole 
beautiful  life  exemplified  the  truth  of  the  saying  that  "the 
way  to  heaven  is  heaven  all  the  way."  He  was  a  great  suf- 
ferer, but  he  bore  his  sufferings  with  patient  humility,  wait- 
ing for  the  summons  calling  him  from  labor  to  rest.  It 
came  on  the  5th  of  July,  1806.  He  had  retired  to  the 
house  of  his  friend  Senator  Bassett,  of  Dover,  Del. — a  for- 
mer governor  of  that  State.  Here,  surrounded  by  persons 
of  high  rank  and  social  position,  the  old  veteran  was  to 
finish  the  task  given  him  to  do  by  showing  to  these  the 
beauty  and  glory  of  the  religion  of  Jesus  in  the  dying-hour. 
He  was  in  extreme  pain  for  thirteen  weeks  before  he  died, 
but  he  bore  it  without  murmuring  or  complaining.     His 


218  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

victory  over  death  was  complete,  and  his  admonitions  to  those 
who  saw  him  in  his  last  hours  were  peculiarly  impressive.  In 
November  following,  Asbury  wrote  to  Fleming:  "Dear  Fa- 
ther Whateoat,  after  thirteen  weeks'  illness — gravel,  stone, 
dysentery  combined — died  a  martyr  to  pain,  in  all  patience 
and  resignation  to  the  will  of  God.  May  we,  like  him,  if 
we  live  long,  live  well,  and  die  like  him." 

He  had  about  completed  his  sixth  episcopal  tour  through 
the  Connection.  He  was  seventy  years  of  age ;  had  been  an 
itinerant  preacher  thirty-seven  years,  twenty-two  of  which 
had  been  spent  in  America,  and  six  in  the  episcopal  office. 
In  their  notice  of  his  death,  his  brethren  say  of  him:  "He 
professed  the  justifying  and  sanctifying  grace  of  God,  and 
all  that  knew  him  well  might  say,  If  any  man  on  earth 
possessed  these  blessings,  surely  it  was  Richard  Whateoat." 

Nearly  a  year  after  his  death  Asbury  preached  a  funeral 
oration  over  his  tomb,  on  the  text,  "But  thou  hast  fully 
known  my  doctrine,  manner  of  life,  purpose,  faith,  long-suf- 
fering, charity,  patience."  (2  Tim.  iii.  10.)  The  Bishop 
stated  4n  the  course  of  his  remarks  that  he  had  "  known 
Richard  Whateoat  from  his  own  age  of  fourteen  to  sixty- 
two  years  most  intimately — his  holy  manner  of  life,  in  duty 
at  all  times,  in  all  places,  and  before  all  people,  as  a  Chris- 
tian and  as  a  minister;  his  long-suffering  as  a  man  of  great 
affliction  of  body  and  mind,  having  been  exercised  with  se- 
vere diseases  and  great  labors;  his  charity,  his  love  of  God 
and  man,  in  all  its  effects,  tempers,  words,  and  actions ;  bear- 
ing with  resignation  and  patience  great  temptations,  bodily 
labors,  and  inexpressible  pain.  In  life  and  death  he  was 
placid  and  calm.     As  he  lived,  so  he  died." 

His  remains  were  interred  under  the  altar  of  the  old  Dover 
Wesley  chapel,  where  he  had  first  met  Asbury  in  America,  and 
"  where  he  had  so  often  preached  with  tears  and  with  power,  and 
where  for  years  his  name,  inscribed  on  stone,  was  a  spell  of  in- 


Iii  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  219 

flucnce  to  all  iu  the  congregation  who  had  known  him.  Ste- 
vens tells  ns  that  the  old  chapel  stood  about  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  from  Dover.  "  The  congregation  outgrew  its  size,  and 
in  1850  its  materials  were  incorporated  in  a  new  and  costly 
church  in  the  town.  The  Bishop  still  sleeps  in  the  old 
place,  near  the  railroad  station.  The  Philadelphia  Con- 
ference erected  in  1855  'a  beautiful  monument'  over  his 
grave."  

STITH  MEAD. 

IX  the  year  that  John  Easter  retired  to  the  local  ranks 
the  Virginia  Conference  enlisted  the  services  of  a  young 
man  who,  in  earnest,  successful  labors,  was  to  prove  his  equal. 
Stith  Mead  was  born  in  Bedford  county,  Virginia,  Sep- 
tember 26,  1767.  His  father,  Colonel  William  Mead,  was 
a  wealthy  farmer  of  that  county,  and  had  served  with  dis- 
tinction in  the  Revolutionary  War.  He  was  a  vestryman 
in  the  Church  of  England ;  but  those  were  dark  days  in  the 
religious  history  of  that  denomination,  and  young  Stith  in 
after-years  felt  himself  under  small  obligations  to  his  mother 
Church  for  the  religious  influences  she  threw  around  him. 
Dancing,  card-playing,  horse-racing,  fox-hunting,  cock-fight- 
ing, were  the  most  popular  of  what  were  regarded  harmless 
amusemeuts.  He  declares  himself  to  have  beeu  skilled  in 
all  of  these  save  card-playing.  But,  notwithstanding  the 
fact  that  he  had  so  few  religious  associations  thrown  around 
him,  he  acknowledged  that  he  often  felt  the  obligations  of 
duty  and  the  calls  to  a  better  life.  He  would  visit  the  ne- 
gro-cabins on  his  father's  plantation,  and  listen  to  the  slaves 
converse  about  heaven  and  hell,  duty  and  destiny.  These 
visits  proved  the  means  of  causing  him,  on  more  than  one 
occasion,  to  determine  to  reform  and  lead  a  moral  life;  but 
the  impressions  and  resolutions  were  alike  forgotten  as  he 
was  thrown  into  ungodly  company. 


220  The  Pioneer*  of  Methodism 

While  he  was  quite  young,  his  father  removed  to  the  State 
of  Georgia,  and,  before  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age,  Stith 
was  sent  to  school  in  Augusta.  Here  his  religious  impres- 
sions returned  with  redoubled  force.  While  yet  surrounded 
with  ungodliness  and  worldly-mindedness,  he  felt  himself  to 
be  a  vile,  undone  sinner,  under  the  wrath  of  God,  and  in 
danger  of  eternal  punishment.  In  great  distress  of  mind  he 
was  directed  to  one  of  the  teachers  in  the  school,  who,  he 
was  told,  "had  studied  divinity."  The  teacher,  it  seems, 
gave  him  good  atlvice — he  advised  him  to  pray.  But  young 
Mead  was  quite  ignorant  as  to  the  proper  manner  of  adopt- 
ing the  advice.  However,  he  committed  to  memory  a  form 
of  prayer  which  he  found  in  his  spelling-book,  and  with  this 
he  humbled  himself  before  God  in  supplication.  This,  he 
tells  us,  was  the  first  time  that  he  had  ever  attempted  to 
pray  from  a  conviction  of  his  unfitness  for  heaven  and  fit- 
ness for  hell.  But  it  was  not  long  before  these  convictions 
and  impressions  passed  away,  and  he  was  as  careless  and  un- 
concerned about  his  soul's  salvation  as  ever. 

After  about  four  years  he  returned  on  business  to  his  na- 
tive county  in  Virginia.  Christopher  S.  Mooring  and  Rich- 
ard Pope,  assisted  by  John  Ayers,  a  local  j>reacher,  were 
conducting  at  that  time  a  series  of  meetings  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. He  attended.  Again  he  felt  the  wooing  spirit  of 
God  knocking  at  the  door  of  his  heart.  "  I  felt  hard,"  says 
he,  "under  Ayers,  a  slight  impression  under  Mooring,  and 
under  Pope  the  power  of  God  came  upon  me,  and  cast  me 
out  of  the  chair  on  the  floor.  I  was  like  the  man  in  the 
gospel  torn  by  the  foul  spirit:  the  burden  of  my  sins  was 
so  great,  and  I  had  so  plain  a  discovery  of  my  lost  and  un- 
done state,  that  if  my  next  step  was  to  have  been  in  hell  I 
do  not  suppose  more  horrid  shrieks  or  doleful  cries  could 
have  been  uttered."  Attending  another  meeting,  conduct- 
ed by  Pope,  he  says:  "I  fell  among  the  slain — and  they 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  221 

were  many.  On  my  first  recollection  I  found  myself  on  my 
hack  on  the  floor,  groaning  for  deliverance.  I  was  carried 
out  of  the  house  by  some  friendly  hands,  and  laid  under  the 
shade  of  a  tree,  the  house  being  so  crowded  that  the  people 
trod  one  upon  another." 

Soon  after  this  he  was  happily  converted,  and  gave  him- 
self wholly  to  the  work  of  the  ministry.  He  brought  into 
the  ranks  of  the  itinerancy  earnest  zeal  for  the  conversion 
of  souls,  and  no  mean  gifts  as  a  preacher  of  the  gospel. 
Few  men  in  his  day  were  more  successful  in  winning  sin- 
ners to  Christ.  His  first  fields  of  labor  were  as  follows: 
1792,  Botetourt;  1793,  Holston;  1794,  Bedford;  1795, 
Cumberland;  1796,  Hanover;  1797,  Gloucester;  1798, 
Brunswick.  Most  of  these  were  among  the  hardest  fields 
in  the  Virginia  Conference ;  and  Mead,  at  the  conclusion  of 
these  seven  years,  could  justly  claim  to  have  borne  a  fan- 
share  of  the  hardships  incident  to  the  itinerancy.  His  la- 
bors, too,  had  been  owned  of  the  Master,  and  wherever  he 
had  traveled  sinners  had  been  convicted  of  their  sins  and 
converted  to  God. 

In  1799  he  was  appointed  to  Augusta,  Ga.  To  introduce 
Methodism  into  this  ungodly  place  proved  to  be  no  small 
undertaking.  Mead's  account  of  the  religious  state  of  the 
place  is  gloomy  in  the  extreme.  "Though  the  metropolis 
of  Georgia,"  he  writes  to  Bishop  Asbury,  "  it  is  the  seat  and 
nursery  of  infidelity,  atheism,  deism,  materialism,  fatalism, 
diabolism,  etc.  The  apostate  B.  A.  [Beverly  Allen]  and 
others  have  done  great  injury  to  the  cause  of  Methodism. 
In  a  census  of  four  thousand  souls  in  the  city,  I  know  of 
none  who  know  their  right-hand  from  their  left  in  religion." 
In  his  efforts  to  promote  the  wcJrk  of  Christ,  he  soon  learned 
that  he  was  regarded  with  contempt  by  his  old  companions 
in  worldly  folly.  The  Episcopal  Church  was  at  first  opened 
to  him,  but  it  was  opened  only  once.     The  earnest,  heart- 


222  The  Puma  rs  of  Methodism 

searching  sermon,  stripping  the  sinner  of  his  vain  excuses, 
and  causing  the  professor  to  investigate  the  foundations  of 
his  hope,  created  such  dissatisfaction  on  the  part  of  his  hear- 
ers as  not  only  closed  the  door  of  the  church  upon  him,  but 
drew  upon  his  head  no  little  opposition.  Threatened,  re- 
viled, execrated,  unable  to  procure  a  boarding-place  among 
his  relations,  he  retired  from  the  Church,  and  formed  a  two- 
weeks  circuit  in  the  surrounding  country;  spending  one 
week  in  Georgia*,  and  one  in  South  Carolina,  as  his  little 
field  was  evenly  divided  by  the  Savannah  River.  He  found, 
however,  an  open  door  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Ebenezer  Dough- 
ty, in  Augusta.  Here  he  preached,  and  formed  a  class  of 
six  persons.  Such  was  the  beginning  of  Methodism  in  Au- 
gusta. After  laboring  another  year  on  this  field,  he  was  ap- 
pointed presiding  elder  of  the  Georgia  District,  In  this 
capacity  he  labored,  shoulder  to  shoulder,  with  such  men  as 
Hope  Hull,  Nicholas  Snethen,  and  others.  Camp-meetings 
were  held,  at  which  thousands  were  brought  into  the  Church, 
and  the  foundations  of  Methodism  were  laid  deep  and  wide. 
The  following  extract  from  a  letter  from  Mead  to  Bishop 
Asbury  cannot  but  prove  of  interest,  giving  as  it  does  a 
graphic  picture  of  the  spirit  and  labors  of  the  men  who  in- 
troduced Methodism  into  the  State  of  Georgia: 

"Georgia,  April  21,  1803. 
"  To  give  you  a  narrative  of  the  work  of  God,  in  its  re- 
markable occurrences,  since  my  letter  to  you,  cannot  be 
done  with  ease.  It  may  suffice  to  say  that  the  first  general 
camp-meeting  that  I  attended  in  the  Georgia  District  was 
at  a  cpiarterly-meeting  held  for  Little  River  Circuit,  and 
commenced  on  Friday,  the  8th,  and  closed  on  Tuesday,  the 
12th  of  October,  1802,  at  Rehoboth  Chapel,  Warren  county. 
The  around  was  opened  at  the  meeting-house  in  an  oblong 
of  near  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  with  two  stages  at  suitable  dis- 
tances, having  the  meeting-house  in  the  midst.     The  people 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  223 

began  to  pitch  their  tents  as  early  as  Thursday  night.  By 
Sunday  the  carriages  were  computed  at  upward  of  one  hun- 
dred, the  number  of  people  at  seven  thousand,  the  commu- 
nicants at  six  hundred,  preachers  at  twenty-six,  viz.,  eighteen 
Methodist,  three  Presbyterian,  and  five  Baptist.  Preaching 
at  the  sound  of  the  trumpet  at  the  hours  of  eight,  twelve, 
and  three ;  and  at  night  the  exercise  of  singing  and  prayer ; 
in  the  intervals  pointing  souls  to  Christ  through  faith. 
Family  worship  also  attended  by  the  preachers,  night  and 
morning,  at  such  tents  as  were  most  convenient,  where  sev- 
eral families  might  unite.  Souls  were  converted  on  this 
second  day.  On  Sabbath  a  masterly  discourse  by  Hull,  pre- 
paratory to  the  sacrament.  The  two  crowds  from  each  stage 
marched  to  the  house,  which  was  like  the  meeting  of  two 
armies,  and  the  shouts  of  the  redeemed  were  heard  in  the 
midst.  At  the  table  my  own  soul  feasted  on  the  riches  of 
paradise;  my  cup  was  filled,  yea,  it  ran  over,  while  I  pro- 
claimed aloud,  and  concealed  not  the  truth — no,  not  in  the 
great  congregation.  On  Monday  the  exercise  increased 
greatly,  and  Monday  night  was  the  greatest  I  ever  saw. 
The  engagement  was  general.  I  labored  by  moonshine  un- 
der the  trees,  and  with  sweat,  and  with  the  dew  of  the  night, 
until  two  o'clock.  (On  Tuesday,  before  the  close,  Jhe^ wife  /N 
of  Colonel  Win.  Stith,  Judge  of  Civil  Law,  being  power- 
fully converted,  lifted  up  her  voice  with  strength,  and  shout- 
ing among  the  thousands,  came  near  the  stage  (himself 
present),  to  render  thanks  to  God  for  converting  her  soul 
at  that  meeting.  This  made  way  for  one  to  propose  that  all 
remaining  on  the  ground  (for  numbers  had  gone  away)  who 
had  attained  the  like  blessing  during  the  same  period  would 
stand  forth  with  Mrs.  Stith.  A  cloud  of  witnesses  stood 
forth — I  suppose  above  fifty.  I  have  concluded,  on  a  mod- 
erate scale,  there  might  have  been  one  hundred  converted 
during  the  meeting.  J  Thursday  and  Friday,  14th  and  15th 


224  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

of  October,  I  attended  a  Presbyterian  camp-meeting,  with 

Robert  Cunningham,  and  had  the  pleasure  to  hear  several 
openly  testify  they  had  obtained  a  saving  religion  at  the 
Warren  meeting.  Several,  I  trust,  at  this  meeting,  obtained 
religion.  From  thence  I  passed  on  and  attended  a  quar- 
terly-meeting for  Appalachee  Circuit,  Saturday,  Sunday, 
Monday,  23d,  24th,  2~ih  of  October,  at  Pentecost  meeting- 
house ;  and  although  we  were  surrounded  with  meetings  by 
other  denominations,  yet  the  Lord  gave  us  a  large  audience, 
and  a  great  time  with  saints  and  sinners;  ten  converted  and 
nine  joined.  From  thence  I  attended  a  quarterly-meeting 
at  Cold  Water  meeting-house,  in  Broad  River  Circuit,  where 
your  appointments  entered  on  the  district.  You  being  hin- 
dered from  us  through  affliction,  Brother  N.  Snethen  came, 
and  we  had  a  good  meeting;  four  were  converted.  From 
thence  we  proceeded  to  the  place  where  your  appointments 
were  formed  in  a  joint  camp-meeting  with  the  Presbyterians, 
which  commenced  on  Thursday,  the  11th,  and  closed  Mon- 
day, November  14th,  near  Lexington,  Oglethorpe  county. 
The  outlines  of  this  encampment  were  near  a  mile  round. 
The  first  day  was  mostly  taken  up  in  pitching  the  tents, 
some  cutting  down  trees,  some  carrying  off,  others  riving 
boards.  About  noon  I  was  directed  to  open  meeting,  which 
I  endeavored  to  do  from  Rev.  xiv.  6,  7,  at  one  stage;  and 
Henry  Moss  at  the  other.  Friday  night  the  bounds  of  the 
ground  were  thickly  stowed  with  camps.  The  number  that 
attended  on  this  occasion  is  computed  from  eight  to  ten  thou- 
sand; the  number  of  carriages  at  two  hundred  and  fifty; 
preachers  twenty-five — Methodist,  fifteen:  itinerant,  five; 
local,  ten;  Presbyterian,  five;  Episcopal,  one;  Baptist, 
five.  The  conversion  of  souls  began  on  Friday  night,  and 
the  exercise  increased  day  and  night  during  our  stay  on  the 
ground.  It  is  impossible  to  ascertain  with  any  degree  of 
precision  the  number  converted  on  this  occasion ;  but  I  sup- 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  225 

pose  from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty.  During 
this  exercise  Gen.  Jas.  Steward  discovered  a  mark  of  gener- 
alship in  the  conversion  of  his  brother-in-law,  Captain  J. 
Floyd.  Some  time  previous  Captain  Floyd  appeared  under 
the  alarm  of  a  guilty  conscience,  but  threw  off  his  convic- 
tion, and  came  to  this  meeting  only  to  gratify  the  wishes  of 
his  wife.  General  Steward,  watching  an  opportunity,  in- 
vited Captain  Floyd  apart,  telling  him  he  believed  him  to  be 
a  man  of  honor,  candor,  and  truth,  and  that  what  he  under- 
took he  was  faithful  to  perform ;  therefore  desired  he  would 
then  give  him  his  hand  in  confirmation  that  he  would  pray 
to  God  with  him  during  life  for  salvation ;  and  if  they  went 
to  hell,  to  go  with  a  prayer  in  their  mouths :  which  proposal 
Captain  Floyd  acceded  to;  and  after  Brother  N.  Snethen 
had  preached  a  sermon,  and  Brother  Hull  had  exhorted, 
from  the  valley  of  dry  bones  (or  rather  under  the  adminis- 
tration of  the  word),  in  the  presence  of  thousands,  Captain 
F.  fell,  among  others,  in  an  agony  of  conviction.  I  stepped 
to  him  in  full  faith,  for  I  felt  the  sanctifying  power  of  the 
spirit  in  soul  and  body ;  and  while  I  was  praying  and  point- 
ing him  to  Jesus,  he  was  visibly  delivered,  and  praised  God 
in  an  ecstasy  of  joy.  He  called  for  his  wife — the  partner 
of  his  bosom — who  came  weeping,  and  fell  into  his  arms, 
saying,  'Are  you  going  to  leave  me?'  After  this,  passing 
through  the  crowd,  he  cried  out  to  General  Steward,  'Don't 
you  remember  the  bargain  we  made  this  morning?'  (being 
the  Sabbath).     Many  at  the  close,  unable  to  help  themselves, 

were  put  into  wagons  and  carried  home 

"I  do  assure  you,  the  sweet  union  contracted  at  such 
meetings,  and  enjoyed  for  days  together,  like  heaven  upon 
earth,  makes  solemn  impressions  on  parting  with  each  other. 

"Your  brother  and  friend,  and  well-wisher  in  Jesus 
Christ,  Stith  Mead." 

15 


226  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

In  1805  he  was  transferred  to  the  Virginia  Conference, 
and  placed  in  charge  of  the  Richmond  District.  The  fol- 
lowing characteristic  letter,  written  to  Asbnry  from  that 
field,  may  prove  of  interest: 

"  Richmond  District,  April  4,  1805. 
"  I  have  been  in  the  habit  of  communicating  to  you  the 
remarkable  occurrences  which  have  fallen  in  my  way  from 
time  to  time ;  but  your  being  kept  from  us  in  the  South  by 
sickness,  I  have  been  at  a  loss  to  know  where  to  direct  my 
intelligence.  Being  informed  you  will  shortly  be  in  Balti- 
more, I  shall  endeavor  to  throw  the  following  narrative  in 
your  way;  but  passing  over  a  great  number  of  pleasing 
scenes  which  might  be  noticed,  for  brevity's  sake,  I  shall 
confine  myself  to  giving  you  a  list  of  the  camp  and  other 
meetings  of  magnitude,  with  their  immediate  effects,  and 
then,  in  an  aggregate,  the  consequences  of  the  meetings  will 
be  seen  on  a  more  enlarged  scale;  though  still  much  of 
their  fruit  will  be  unnoticed,  being  scattered  generally  over 
*the  circuits. 

Dates.  Places.  Converted.  Joined. 

1804. 

March   23-27 Bedford  county 50 

April  21-23 Campbell  county 24        40 

"     Goose  Creek 16 

"  "     Lynchburg 16 

May  5-11 Tabernacle 100 

"     12-15 Xew  Hope  Chapel 100        49 

"     17-21 Tabernacle 150       140 

"     Flat  Rock 20 

"     30 Lynchburg 50 

May  31,  June  l-.New  Hope  Chapel 40        49 

June  3 Tabernacle 48 

"     8-12 Charity  Chapel,  PoAvhatan 100         60 

"       "      Bethel  Chapel 50 

July  20-24 Leftwich's  Chapel,  Bedford  Circuit  100         60 

"     28-29 New  Hope -. 30        19 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  227 

Dates.  Places.  Converted.  Joined. 

1804. 

Aug.  3-7 Botetourt 

"     8 Fincastle  ....  , 

"     17-21 Ebenezer  Chapel,  Bedford.., 

Sept.31ZZ}Tabernacle 

"     7-11 Oaks,  Amherst.. , 

"     21-25 Brown's  Chapel,  Campbell. 

"     28 ) 

0      -.  J- Chestnut  Chapel,  Franklin 10         11 

1805. 
March  29... 


50 

20 

7 

50 

17 

20 

40 

13 

30 

12 

|  Oarley's  Chapel,  Bedford 20         13 

1086  538 
"  In  this  great  and  glorious  work  it  may  be  observed  that 
at  the  close  of  two  months  I  numbered  six  hundred  convert- 
ed, and  five  hundred  and  twenty  added  to  the  Church ;  and 
in  the  six  months — and  that  principally  at  the  meetings — 
the  number  converted  amounted  to  eleven  hundred  and 
seventy-six ;  and  eight  hundred  and  fifty  joined  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church.  With  the  preachers  in  the  five 
circuits — Bedford,  Botetourt,  Amherst,  Cumberland,  and 
Franklin — each  having  one  or  more  camp-meetings,  hun- 
dreds are  brought  to  God  and  into  his  militant  Church ;  and 
other  denominations  have  shared  largely  the  fruits  of  our 
labors. 

"  In  this  work  it  may  be  remarked  that  I  have  baptized 
near  one  hundred  adult  believers — from  ten  to  twenty  at  a 
time;  and  after  giving  them  the  choice  of  the  mode,  there 
has  not  been  one  instance  where  they  have  chosen  immer- 
sion, and  the  blessing  of  God  has  visibly  attended  the  ordi- 
nance by  affusion ;  and  there  are  but  few  who  have  joined 
but  what  professed  saving  religion  previous  to  their  joining. 
Persecution  has  raged  in  proportion  to  the  revival,  but  hith- 


228  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

erto  the  Lord  has  helped  us,  and  we  can  say  with  the  apos- 
tle, 2  Cor.  vi.  8-10:  'By  honor  and  dishonor;  by  evil  report 
and  good  report;  as  deceivers,  and  yet  true;  as  unknown, 
and  yet  well  known;  as  dying,  and,  behold,  we  live;  as  chas- 
tened, and  not  killed;  as  sorrowful,  yet  always  rejoicing;  as 
poor,  yet  making  many  rich;  as  having  nothing,  and  yet 
possessing  all  things.'  Stitii  Mead." 

Other  letters  might  be  quoted,  but  the  above  will  give  the 
reader  some  idea  of  the  spirit  of- the  man,  as  well  as  of  the 
character  of  the  work  he  performed  for  the  Church  of  his 
love.  Under  his  faithful  and  zealous  ministry  many  were 
led  to  Christ  who  afterward  became  ornaments  to  Method- 
ism and  to  society.  He  was  the  intimate  friend  of  Asbury, 
Coke,  and  Whatcoat,  and  ever  maintained  with  them  the 
most  affectionate  and  confidential  relations.  In  the  even- 
ing of  life,  after  freely  giving  his  best  days  to  the  service  of 
the  Church,  he  was  allowed  to  feel  the  pinchings  of  poverty; 
and  with  a  large  family  dependent  upon  him  for  support,  he 
no  doubt  was  keenly  sensible  to  his  misfortunes;  but  his 
faith  in  Christ  never  wavered,  and  his  zeal  for  his  cause 
never  waned.  Now  that  he  rests  from  his  labors,  it  only 
remains  for  us  to  remember  his  sacrifices  and  cherish  his 
memory. 

HOPE  HULL. 

THE  name  of  Hope  Hull  occupies  a  prominent  place 
in  the  history  of  our  Church  during  the  latter  part  of 
the  last  and  the  beginning  of  the  present  century.  He  pos- 
sessed sterling  qualities  of  head  and  heart,  and,  directed  by 
superior  judgment  and  foresight,  laid  broad  foundations  for 
the  future.  He  was  one  of  the  most  famous  of  the  field- 
preachers  of  his  day,  and  the  traditions  of  some  of  his  con- 
flicts with  Belial  that  have  come  down  to  us  serve  to  lend 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  229 

an  air  of  romance  to  Methodist  history.  Beloved  by  the 
believers,  feared  by  the  ungodly,  respected  by  all  who  knew 
him,  few  men  have  done  more  to  lay  the  foundation  of  Meth- 
odism deep  and  wide  in  the  South.  He  loved  his  Church 
with  an  intense  fervor  of  devotion ;  to  her  interests  he  was 
always  attached,  and  in  her  service  he  was  ever  ready  to 
"  spend  and  be  spent."  He  was  born  on  the  eastern  shore 
of  Maryland  in  the  year  1763,  and  in  his  youth  connected 
himself  with  the  Methodists  in  Baltimore.  In  the  year  1785 
he  entered  the  ranks  of  the  itinerancy,  where  his  rare  tal- 
ents and  earnest  zeal  gave  him  immediate  success.  Though 
brought  up  a  mechanic,  Hull  sawT  the  importance  of  educa- 
tion, and  applied  himself  to  his  studies  with  such  diligence 
as  to  become  quite  proficient  not  only  in  his  own  but  in  the 
Latin  language  and  literature.  All  the  time  he  could  com- 
mand was  spent  in  the  work  of  preparing  himself  for  more 
extended  usefulness,  and  the  Methodist  Church  afterward 
reaped  a  rich  harvest  from  his  studious  tastes  and  habits,  as 
we  shall  see  in  the  course  of  this  sketch.  He  was  first  ap- 
pointed to  Salisbury  Circuit  in  North  Carolina.  This  cir- 
cuit had  been  formed  two  years  before,  with  only  thirty 
members,  and  to  it  the  unfortunate  Beverly  Allen,  with 
James  Foster  and  James  Hinton  as  assistants,  had  been 
sent.  At  the  ensuing  Conference  they  reported  three  hun- 
dred and  seventy-five  members — a  net  gain  of  three  hundred 
and  forty-five  in  one  year.  On  this  field  Hull  succeeded 
the  afterward  famous  preacher  Jesse  Lee,  whose  labors  here 
had  also  been  eminently  fruitful.  After  serving  the  ap- 
pointment with  great  success  for  one  year,  leading  souls  to 
Christ,  and  opening  the  way  for  new  preachers,  we  find  him 
the  next  year  on  Pedee  Circuit,  with  Jeremiah  Mastin, 
gallantly  leading  the  little  band  then  bearing  the  banner  of 
Methodism  toward  the  South.  Of  his  work  here,  Dr.  Shipp 
says :  "  His  popularity  iu  the  Pedee  country  was  unbounded, 


230  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

and  his  name,  like  that  of  Mastin,  waa  perpetuated  by  in- 
corporation as  a  family  name  in  many  households.  Edward 
Crosland,  of  Green  Pond  Church,  was  so  partial  to  both  the 
preachers  that  he  named  a  son  Mastin  and  a  daughter  Hope 
Hull;  and  Robert  Purnell,  of  Beauty  Spot,  who  was  awak- 
ened and  converted  under  a  sermon  preached  in  the  open 
air,  because  the  log-church  could  not  contain  the  multitude 
that  thronged  the  appointment,  and  who  was  one  of  the  first 
local  preachers  raised  up  in  the  South  Carolina  Conference, 
and  a  great  revivalist,  named  his  second  son  Hope  Hull, 
and  sent  him  afterward  to  the  academy  which  he  established 
in  Georgia  to  be  educated  for  the  ministry."  Dr.  Coke  was 
delighted  with  him,  and  two  years  afterward  makes  this 
mention  of  his  work  on  that  charge :  "  Mr.  Hull  is  young, 
but  is  indeed  a  flame  of  fire.  He  appears  always  on  the 
stretch  for  the  salvation  of  souls.  Our  only  fear  concern- 
ing him  is  that  the  sword  is  too  keen  for  the  scabbard — that 
he  lays  himself  out  in  wrork  far  beyond  his  strength.  Two 
years  ago  he  was  sent  to  a  circuit  in  South  Carolina  which 
we  were  almost  ready  to  despair  of,  but  he,  with  a  young 
colleague  (Mastin)  of  like  spirit  with  himself,  in  one  year 
raised  that  circuit  to  a  degree  of  importance  equal  to  that 
of  almost  any  in  the  Southern  States." 

The  next  year  (1787),  we  find  him  appointed  to  Amelia 
Circuit  in  Virginia.  This  year  is  a  memorable  one  in  the 
history  of  Methodism  in  that  State,  on  account  of  the  won- 
derful revival  that  attended  the  preaching  of  the  itinerants. 
John  Easter  was  on  the  Brunswick  Circuit,  and  shoulder  to 
shoulder  with  Hull,  these  two  "  flaming  heralds  of  the  cross" 
fought  together  some  of  the  hardest  fights  and  won  some  of 
the  most  glorious  victories  recorded  in  the  annals  of  the 
Church. 

The  Old  Theater  which  stood  on  Old  street,  not  far  from 
the  present  site  of  Murray's  mill,  in  the  city  of  Petersburg, 


In  North  Carolina  iiikI  Virginia.  231 

and  in  which  Robert  Williams  and  many  of  the  pioneers 
had  thundered  the  law  and  the  gospel,  was  the  scene  of  one 
of  these  conflicts.  Dr.  Bennett  has  given  us  the  following 
description  of  it:  "The  house  was  packed  from  door  to  pul- 
pit. The  slain  of  the  Lord  were  many,  and  the  power  of 
God  was  present  to  heal  them.  Excited  by  the  cries  and 
groans  of  the  stricken  sinners  within,  the  furious  sinners 
without  raved  round  the  house  like  a  tempest.  At  length 
they  gathered,  and  rushed  with  yells  and  curses  against  the 
doors.  They  burst  in  among  the  worshipers,  throwing  lighted 
squibs  and  fire-crackers.  Meanwhile  another  band  brought 
up  a  fire-engine  and  played  a  stream  of  water  into  the  house 
until  every  light  was  put  out,  saints  and  sinners  involved  in 
darkness,  save  where  a  bursting  fire-cracker  gave  a  moment- 
ary glow,  and  the  whole  congregation  routed  and  driven 
from  the  place.  Great  was  the  joy  of  the  wicked,  but  short 
was  their  triumph.  God  was  in  his  work;  his  hand  moved 
it  on  in  the  midst  of  opposition,  and  its  blessed  influences 
reached  and  subdued  not  a  few  of  those  who  had  fought 
against  it." 

In  1788  we  find  Hull  sent  to  Washington,  Georgia.  To 
this  State  he  gave  the  remainder  of  his  ministerial  life,  with 
the  exception  of  one  year — 1792 — spent  with  Jesse  Lee  in 
New  England.  But  that  one  year  was  a  memorable  one, 
and  his  labors  indissolubly  connected  his  name  with  the 
history  of  Methodism  in  that  section.  It  was  under  Hull's 
preaching  in  New  England  that  a  young  man,  whose  name 
was  afterward  to  become  familiar  as  household  words  in 
every  State  in  the  Union,  was  converted.  The  young  man 
had  been  for  some  time  laboring  under  conviction,  when, 
led  by  curiosity,  he  attended  a  Methodist  meeting  and  heard 
Hull  preach  on  the  text,  "This  is  a  faithful  saying,  and 
worthy  of  all  acceptation,  that  Christ  Jesus  came  into  the 
world  to  save  sinners,"  etc.    Says  he,  "  I  thought  he  told  me 


232  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

all  that  ever  I  did."  The  next  day  he  heard  him  again, 
and  of  the  impression  the  preacher  made  upon  him  he  tells  us: 
"Pointing  his  finger  toward  me  he  made  this  expression: 
'Sinner,  there  is  a  frowning  Providence  above  your  head, 
and  a  burning  hell  beneath  your  feet,  and  nothing  but  the 
brittle  thread  of  life  prevents  your  soul  from  falling  into 
endless  perdition.  But,  says  the  sinner,  what  must  I  do? 
You  must  pray.  But  I  can't  pray?  If  you  don't  pray, 
then  you  '11  be  damned ! '  and,  as  he  brought  out  the  last 
expression,  he  either  stamped  with  his  foot  on  the  box  on 
which  he  stood  or  smote  with  his  hand  on  the  Bible,  which 
came  like  a  dagger  to  my  heart.  I  came  near  falling  back- 
ward from  my  seat,  but  saved  myself  by  catching  hold  of 
my  cousin,  who  sat  by  my  side;  and  I  durst  not  stir  for 
some  time,  for  fear  I  should  tumble  into  hell."  He  after- 
ward found  pardon  for  sin,  and  was  known  to  the  world  as 
the  great  revivalist  Lorenzo  Dow. 

In  Georgia,  Hull  was  the  soul  of  the  Methodist  move- 
ment. His  son,  Dr.  Hull,  quoted  in  "Sprague's  Annals," 
tells  us :  "  He  was  in  many  places  the  first  Methodist  preach- 
er the  people  ever  saw,  and  to  many  individuals  the  first 
preacher  of  any  denomination.  It  was  chiefly  through  his 
exertions  that  the  first  respectable  brick  building  was  erect- 
ed in  Washington,  designed  to  be  used  as  an  academy."  In 
Savannah  he  met  with  great  persecution  on  account  of  the 
opposition  to  Mr.  Wesley  and  to  the  minutes  against  slavery. 
He  was  attacked  by  mobs  and  forced  to  seek  refuge  in  the 
country,  but  the  "word  of  God"  was  "not  bound,"  and 
gradually  the  way  opened  before  him.  As  an  evidence  of 
his  readiness  under  all  circumstances  to  promote  the  work 
of  the  Church,  the  following  story  is  told.  While  traveling 
he  was  invited  to  spend  the  night  at  a  house  where  a  ball 
was  to  be  held.  The  story  goes:  "He  entered,  and  when, 
soon  after,  he  was  requested  to  dance,  he  took  the  floor  and 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  233 

remarked  aloud,  'I  never  engage  in  any  kind  of  business 
without  first  asking  the  blessing  of  God  upon  it,  so  let  us 
pray.'  Quick  as  thought  the  preacher  was  on  his  knees 
praying  in  the  most  earnest  manner  for  the  souls  of  the  peo- 
ple, that  God  would  open  their  eyes  to  see  their  danger,  and 
convert  them  from  the  error  of  their  ways.  All  present 
were  amazed  and  overwhelmed ;  many  fled  in  terror  from 
the  house,  while  others,  feeling  the  power  of  God  in  their 
midst,  began  to  plead  for  mercy  and  forgiveness.  After  the 
prayer,  he  said, '  On  to-day  four  weeks  I  expect  to  preach 
at  this  house,'  and  quietly  retired.  On  the  appointed  day 
the  inhabitants  for  miles  around  were  assembled,  and  heard 
one  of  the  most  eloquent  and  powerful  sermons  that  ever 
fell  on  human  ears.  From  the  work  begun  in  a  ball-room, 
a  most  powerful  revival  of  religion  extended  in  every  direc- 
tion, and  many  were  added  to  the  Church." 

In  1794,  Asbury  chose  him  as  a  traveling  companion;  but 
before  a  year  had  passed  in  this  service,  Hull's  health  failed, 
and  he  saw  that  he  could  not  continue  in  the  regular  work. 
But  he  was  still  able  to  fill  another  and  hardly  less  noble 
and  important  field  of  labor — that  of  the  Christian  teacher 
— and  he  determined  to  do  it.  Ketiring  into  Wilkes  coun- 
ty, Georgia,  he  opened  an  academy  for  both  sexes,  and  threw 
his  soul  into  his  new  work.  The  reader  must  remember 
that  this  was  a  day  when  the  office  of  a  "school-master" 
was  little  respected,  and  few  persons  competent  to  fill  other 
stations  in  life  could  be  secured  for  this  work.  But  Hull 
threw  his  earnest,  manly  life  into  the  struggling  cause,  and 
it  received  a  new  impetus.  The  good  that  he  accomplished 
at  the  head  of  that  academy,  in  those  days  of  "  Irish  school- 
masters," the  grand  results  that  flowed  to  the  State  and  to 
society  from  his  Christian  labor  and  noble  example,  eter- 
nity alone  will  reveal.  Nor  did  he  forget  to  preach.  When- 
ever and  wherever  opportunity  offered,  he  continued  to  pro- 


l>:>4  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

claim  the  word  of  life  as  his  health  would  permit.  He  was 
one  of  the  founders  of  the  State  University  at  Athens,  its 
acting  president  for  some  time,  and  the  most  active  and  effi- 
cient member  of  its  board  of  trustees  until  the  day  of  his 
death. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Lovick  Pierce,  in  "  Sprague's  Annals,"  says 
of  him :  "  Mr.  Hull's  style  of  preaching  was  awakening  and 
inviting — by  far  the  most  successful  mode  with  the  masses 
of  mankind.  He  was  also  emphatically  what  may  be  called 
an  experimental  preacher,  both  as  regards  the  renewed  and 
unrenewed  heart;  a  style  growing  out  of  the  fact  that  he 
had  carefully  studied  human  nature  in  its  deceitful  work- 
ings, and  Christian  experience,  not  only  in  its  more  palpa- 
ble, but  more  intrinsic  phases;  so  that  when  an  attentive 
hearer  had  listened  to  one  of  his  searching  discourses,  wheth- 
er it  was  intended  to  lay  bare  the  sinner's  heart  or  to  test 
the  Christian's  hopes,  he  always  felt  that  he  had  passed 
through  a  process  of  spiritual  engineering  which  had  mapped 
before  him  the  whole  field  of  his  accountable  life.  Sinners 
often  charged  him  with  having  learned  their  secrets,  and 
using  the  pulpit  to  gratify  himself  in  their  exposure;  and 
Christians,  entangled  in  the  meshes  of  Satan's  net,  and  ready 
to  abandon  their  hope  of  divine  mercy,  have  been  cleared 
of  these  entanglements  under  his  judicious  tracings  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  in  his  manifold  operations  on  the  heart  and  con- 
science. Powerful  emotion  could  be  seen  as  it  played  in 
unmistakable  outline  upon  the  anxious  believer's  counte- 
nance, while  undergoing  one  of  these  spiritual  siftings;  and 
when  at  last  the  verdict  was  written  on  his  heart  that  he 
was  a  child  of  God  according  to  the  rules  of  evidence  laid 
down,  all  the  conventional  rules  about  the  propriety  of 
praise  were  broken  by  one  willing  wave  of  joy,  and  he  told 
aloud  that  the  kingdom  of  God  was  not  a  kingdom  of 
word  only,  but  of  power.     Mr.  Hull  was  a  fine  specimen  of 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  235 

what  may  be  regarded  as  an  old-fashioned  Methodist  preach- 
er. His  oratory  was  natural,  his  action  being  the  unaffected 
expression  of  his  inmost  mind.  Not  only  was  there  an  en- 
tire freedom  from  every  thing  like  mannerism,  but  there 
was  a  great  harmony  between  his  gesticulation  and  the  ex- 
pression of  his  countenance.  He  seemed  in  some  of  the 
finest  moods  of  thought  to  look  his  words  into  his  audience. 
He  was  one  of  nature's  orators,  who  never  spoiled  his  speak- 
ing by  scholastic  restraints.  He  wisely  cultivated  his  mind 
and  taste  that  he  might  rightly  conceive  and  speak ;  but  he 
left  all  external  oratory  to  find  its  inspiration  in  his  subject, 
and  to  warm  itself  into  life  in  the  glow  of  his  mind.  Hence 
in  many  of  his  masterly  efforts  his  words  rushed  upon  his 
audience  like  an  avalanche,  and  multitudes  seemed  to  be 
carried  before  him  like  the  yielding  captives  of  a  stormed 
castle." 

Of  his  first  meeting  with  the  pioneer  preacher,  the  same 
writer  says:  "I  well  remember  that  in  the  days  of  my  youth 
he  used  to  be  known  under  the  coarse  but  graphic  appella- 
tion of  the  '  Broad-ax,'  an  honorary  distinction  conferred  on 
him  because  of  the  mighty  power  that  attended  his  ministry. 
My  eyes  first  fell  on  him  as  he  sat  near  the  pulpit  of  a  small 
log-chapel  called  '  Hull's  Meeting-house,'  in  Clarke  county, 
near  Athens.  It  was  a  memorable  day  in  my  own  history. 
I  had  longed  to  see,  and  now  I  feared  to  meet,  him.  It 
was  my  second  year  in  the  ministry,  and,  above  all,  my  fear 
of  criticism  made  his  presence  dreadful  to  me.  The  wonder- 
ful reports  which  had  reached  me  made  me  look  upon  him 
rather  as  an  august  than  a  fatherly  being,  and,  when  I  saw 
him,  there  was  nothing  in  the  appearance  of  the  real  to  re- 
lieve my  mind  of  the  dread  of  the  ideal  man.  His  head 
was  rather  above  the  medium  size,  his  hair  curling,  just 
sprinkled  with  gray,  and  each  lock  looking  as  if  living  un- 
der a  self-willed  government.     His  face  was  an  exceedingly 


236  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

fine  one;  he  had  a  well-developed  forehead,  a  small,  keen 
blue  eye,  with  a  heavy  brow,  indicative  of  intense  thought. 
His  shoulders  were  unusually  broad  and  square,  his  chest 
wide,  affording  ample  room  for  his  lungs,  a  circumstance  of 
great  value  to  a  speaker  who  drew  so  freely  on  his  deep, 
strong  voice;  his  body  was  unusually  long  and  large  in  pro- 
portion  to  his  lower  limbs,  his  hair  originally  black,  and  his 
voice  full,  flexible,  and  capable  of  every  variety  of  intona- 
tion, from  the  softest  sounds  of  sympathy  and  persuasion  to 

the  thunder-tones  of  wrath I  was  very  intimate 

with  him  for  about  ten  years ;  staid  at  his  house,  and  talked 
and  prayed  and  praised  with  him.  At  that  time  he  was  a 
local,  I  an  itinerant,  preacher ;  but  often  did  he  leave  home 
and  business  and  travel  with  me  for  days.  Together  we 
preached;  nor  did  Jonathan  and  David  love  each  other 
more.     All  my  intimacy  with  him  only  served  to  multiply 

evidences  of  his  exalted  worth When  he  was  a 

circuit  missionary,  sixty  years  ago,  after  preaching  one  day, 
he  proceeded  to  meet  the  little  class,  and  having  gone 
through  the  names  of  the  class-paper,  he  approached  an 
elderly  man  sitting  afar  off,  and  inquired  after  his  soul's 
welfare.  The  old  gentleman,  after  taking  sufficient  time  to 
digest  his  answer,  said,  '  I  am  like  old  Paul — when  I  would 
do  good,  evil  is  present  with  me.'  To  which  Mr.  Hull  re- 
plied, '  I  am  afraid  you  are  like  old  Noah,  too — get  drunk 
sometimes.'  It  was  a  center  shot,  for  the  poor  old  man  was 
a  drunkard.  Many  such  cutting  remarks,  made  in  utter 
ignorance  of  the  persons  to  whom  they  were  addressed,  went 
to  prove  that  he  possessed  a  power  of  discerning  spirits  above 
most  other  men." 

His  peaceful  death  was  a  fitting  and  beautiful  close  to  his 
pure  and  useful  life.  The  unwavering  faith  and  unfalter- 
ing zeal,  that  had  led  him  along  through  suffering  and  dan- 
ger toward  the  goal,  shone  around  his  dying  couch.     He 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  237 

ended  his  warfare  on  the  4th  of  October,  1818,  at  the  age 
of  fifty-five,  and  the  entire  submission  to  the  divine  will, 
which  had  been  so  beautifully  exemplified  in  his  life,  found 
expression  in  his  dying  remark,  "  God  has  laid  me  under 
marching  orders,  and  I  am  ready  to  obey." 


JOHN  McGEE. 

ONE  of  the  great  elements  of  pulpit  power  in  the  found- 
ers of  Methodism  was  the  ministerial  authority  with 
which  they  felt  themselves  to  be  invested.  They  believed 
themselves  to  be  the  "anointed  of  the  Lord"  for  the  work 
of  the  priesthood;  and  in  delivering  their  messages,  they 
spoke  as  those  "  having  authority,  and  not  as  the  scribes  and 
Pharisees."  True,  the  people  to  whom  they  addressed  them- 
selves were  accustomed  to  a  priesthood  clothed  with  power 
from  Church  and  State,  but  these  men  claimed  to  derive 
their  authority  from  a  higher  source  than  either  Church 
or  State — they  professed. to  be  called  of  God.  The  prophet 
of  old,  speaking  under  the  immediate  inspiration  of  the  Most 
High,  and  working  miracles  to  attest  the  divinity  of  his  call- 
ing, was  not  more  certain  of  the  continual  presence  and  pro- 
tecting care  of  God,  nor  more  burdened  with  a  sense  of  the 
awful  responsibility  which  his  office  involved.  This  sense  of 
responsibility  developed  an  all-absorbing  earnestness,  a  fear- 
less, untiring  zeal,  and  an  austere  purity  of  life  in  the  pio- 
neer Methodist  ministry,  causing  the  masses  to  accord  to 
them  a  claim  which  they  refused  to  concede  to  a  more  self- 
indulgent  clergy,  invested  with  more  of  human  authority. 
Conscious  of  their  own  integrity;  with  no  unsurrendered 
vice  separating  them  from  the  favor  of  God ;  with  a  sublime 
trust  in  the  faithfulness  of  him  who  had  ordained  them  to 
the  work,  and  with  a  courage  derived  only  from  a  sense 
of  God's  protection;   with  the  burden  of  the  world's  woe 


238  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

resting  upon  them;  having  tasted  of  the  wormwood  and 
gall,  and  been  "saved  as  by  fire"  from  the  thralldom  of 
sin — these  men  were  baptized  with  a  power  before  which  the 
world  trembled,  and  their  utterances  were  clothed  with  an 
authority  which  even  the  ungodly  conceded.  Criticise  as 
we  may  the  austerity  of  their  lives  and  discipline,  laugh 
as  we  may  at  the  uncouth  and  abrupt  manners  of  some  of 
them,  we  must  confess  that,  combining  what  was  purest 
and  best  in  the  Stoics,  the  Mystics,  and  the  Platonists,  cru- 
cifying the  flesh  to  the  development  of  spiritual  excellence, 
looking  upon  human  life  as  the  soul's  crucial  test — a  pro- 
bationary period  on  which  the  momentous  issues  of  life  and 
death  eternal  are  suspended — these  men,  wofully  deficient 
in  what  we  are  pleased  to  term  "pulpit  qualification,"  de- 
veloped a  spiritual  power  which,  while  it  has  largely  in- 
fused itself  into  other  denominations,  Methodism  has  in  a 
great  measure  lost. 

Of  how  much  other  denominations  owe  to  this  infusion  of 
spiritual  life  we  have  an  intimation  in  the  statement  of  an 
acknowledged  American  authority,  himself  not  a  Method- 
ist, who  says :  "  That  something  of  vital  Christianity  exists 
among  believers  of  every  name;  that  the  doctrine  of  justi- 
fication by  faith  is  generally  understood  and  preached ;  that 
we  are  not  blind  Pharisees,  or  dead  formalists,  or  practical 
Socinians  and  deists — we"  may  trace  the  cause  in  part  (we 
cannot  tell  how  largely)  to  the  Holy  Club  of  Oxford  Meth- 
odists."    (Bibliotheca  Sacra,  January,  1864,  Art.  IV.) 

Holiness  of  life  was  the  great  pursuit  of  these  men,  and 
they  felt  it  to  be  their  one  great  work  to  spread  scriptural 
holiness  over  the  land.  They  introduced  no  new  doctrine. 
Even  Wesley's  Arminian  opinions  had  been  held  in  the 
Church  of  England  by  such  men  as  Sancroft,  Barrow,  Bur- 
net, South,  Chillingworth,  Cudworth,  Bull,  More,  Ham- 
mond, Wilkins,  Tillotson,  and  Stillino;fleet.     "One  condi- 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  239 

tion,  and  only  one,"  was  required  of  candidates  for  admission 
into  the  society — "  a  real  desire  to  save  their  souls."  "  I  de- 
sire," Wesley  wrote  to  Venn,  "  to  have  a  league,  offensive  and 
defensive,  with  every  soldier  of  Christ."  The  object  of  the 
movement  was  to  reform  the  heart  and  life  rather  than  the 
theological  tenets  of  the  religious  world ;  and  so  Methodism 
grew  into  "a  revival  Church  in  its  spirit,  a  missionary 
Church  in  its  organization."  Aiming  at  holiness  of  life 
alone,  it  left  behind  the  dogmatic  questions  which  the 
Church  was  discussing,  and  endeavored  to  form  a  league 
with  every  true  follower  of  Jesus  Christ  in  the  effort  to 
save  the  world  in  the  hour  of  crisis.  Before  these  men, 
baptized  with  the  divine  unction  and  forgetful  of  all  else 
save  the  peril  of  souls,  the  world  trembled,  and  the  pow- 
ers of  darkness  gave  way.  Called  of  God,  and  answerable 
only  to  him,  they  feared  no  man;  their  trumpets  gave  no 
uncertain  sound,  and  thousands  bowed  before  the  cross,  and 
acknowledged  them  to  be*  indeed  embassadors  of  the  Lord. 
It  is  possible  that  these  men  would  see  much  to  correct  in 
our  day.  Indeed,  we  cannot  imagine  a  resurrection  of  the 
Asburys,  and  Lees,  and  Dromgooles,  and  Easters,  and  Wat- 
terses,  and  Ellises,  and  Bruces,  without  picturing  to  ourselves 
a  mighty  shaking  of  the  dry  bones  in  both  clergy  and  laity. 
John  McGee  entered  the  itinerancy  in  1788.  He  was  a 
native  of  North  Carolina ;  born  near  the  Yadkin  River, 
below  Salisbury.  He  was  raised  by  Presbyterian  parents 
of  the  stricter  sort,  and  carefully  trained  in  the  external 
duties  of  religion.  But  on  attaining  years  of  maturity  he 
was  ignorant  of  regeneration  and  justifying  faith,  and,  as 
he  himself  confessed,  sadly  given  to  dissipation.  Leaving 
his  widowed  mother,  he  removed  to  the  eastern  shore  of 
Maryland.  Here  he  first  met  with  the  Methodists,  and 
under  their  influence  he  was  led  to  see  himself  a  vile,  un- 
done sinner,  "without  God,  and  without  hope  in  the  world." 


240  The  PUmeer 8  of  Methodism 

Earnestly  seeking  forgiveness  and  adoption,  as  the  great  want 
of  his  nature,  he  soon  experienced  the  joy  of  the  new  birth. 
Within  three  days  after  his  conversion  he  felt  assured  that 
( Jod  had  called  him  to  the  work  of  the  ministry,  and  began 
at  once  to  labor  with  the  circuit  preacher.  With  a  full 
heart  he  wrote  home,  telling  of  what  "great  things  the  Lord 
had  done  for  his  soul,"  and  announcing  the  fact  that  he 
had  become  a  preacher  among  the  Methodists.  It  seems 
that  his  mother  had  imbibed  the  prevailing  prejudice 
against  the  new  sect,  and  it  is  said  that  when  she  heard 
that  her  wayward  son  had  turned  Methodist  preacher,  the 
cup  of  her  sorrow  was  full;  she  Avas  "almost  distracted, 
and  thought  seriously  of  disowning  him."  In  about  two 
years  he  returned  home.  His  younger  brother,  William, 
had  been  pursuing  a  theological  course,  preparatory  to  en- 
tering the  Presbyterian  ministry — an  office  which  he  after- 
ward adorned  with  a  pure  life  and  holy  zeal.  On  the  first 
night  after  the  prodigal  son's  return,  his  mother  and  broth- 
er held  a  grave  consultation  as  to  the  propriety  of  inviting 
John  to  conduct  the  family  worship.  The  mother  was  at 
first  violently  opposed  to  it,  but  William  insisted,  and  final- 
ly John  was  asked  to  "  take  the  books."  Then  followed  a 
scene  that,  we  may  well  imagine,  heaven  delighted  to  wit- 
ness. The  young  man  was  remarkably  gifted  in  prayer. 
On  this  night  grateful  thoughts  occupied  his  mind.  He 
had  left  home  a  wayward  sinner;  he  had  returned  in  the 
favor  of  God.  Memories  of  the  past  crowded  upon  each 
other  as  he  contemplated  the  mercies  of  his  Heavenly  Fa- 
ther. His  heart  even  now  was  overflowing  in  thankfulness 
for  the  divine  goodness.  He  led  in  prayer.  In  the  hush 
of  the  evening  his  spirit  seemed  communing  with  a  loving 
Father.  There  was  a  strange  sweetness  in  his  petition.  It 
was  the  communion  of  a  loving  child  with  a  gentle  parent. 
There  was  a  filial  awe  and  vet  a  strange  confidence  in  the 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  241 

divine  love  that  was  new  to  those  who  listened.  The  heart 
of  the  young  man  waxed  wanner.  The  incense  of  praise 
ascended  to  heaven.  Now  he  seemed  to  be  in  the  very 
presence  of  the  Saviour,  and  all  was  peace  and  joy.  The 
mother  and  brother  were  deeply  affected.  They  felt  that 
John  had  undergone  a  strange  change — a  change  which, 
while  they  did  not  understand  it,  they  could  not  but  admire 
— and  they  began  to  have  more  respect  for  the  young  Meth- 
odist's religion.     There  might  be  something  in  it  after  all. 

Soon  after  his  arrival,  an  appointment  was  made  for 
him  to  preach,  at  a  neighbor's  house,  on  a  Sabbath  morn- 
ing. The  news  spread  rapidly  over  the  country  that  John 
McGee  had  returned  home  a  preacher,  and  curiosity  led 
many  to  attend.  Perhajos  the  young  preacher  never  after- 
ward excelled  the  effort  of  that  day.  With  a  heart  laden 
with  joy  and  peace,  he  derived  an  inspiration  from  the  dead 
formalism  by  which  he  found  himself  surrounded.  He  spoke 
on  the  one  great  theme  of  his  life — the  new  birth.  The  di- 
vine unction  was  upon  him.  The  dry  bones  were  shaken. 
The  congregation  was  melted  under  the  sublime  yet  simple 
eloquence  of  the  preacher.  Hearts  were  touched  by  the 
word,  souls  felt  themselves  condemned,  and  soon  the  cry 
of  "Mercy!"  broke  from  the  sobbing  mourners  on  every 
side.  His  mother  and  his  brother  were  among  the  peni- 
tents. Convinced  that  they  had  only  the  form  of  godliness, 
they  did  not  rest  until  they  knew  its  power.  A  great  re- 
vival broke  out  as  the  result  of  that  sermon.  The  Church 
was  opened  to  the  new  evangelist,  and  from  the  pulpit  he 
proclaimed  the  word  of  God  until  numbers  experienced  a 
knowledge  of  saving  grace. 

McGee  was  associated  with  Daniel  Asbury  in  carrying 

the  banner  of  Methodism  into  the  pioneer  fields  of  Western 

North  and  South  Carolina.     The  first  Methodist  church  in 

North  Carolina,  west  of  the  Catawba  River,  was  built  in 

16 


242  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

1791.  It  was  situated  in  Lincoln  county,  near  where  Dan- 
iel Asbury  lived  when  he  located.  It  was  called  Ilehoboth. 
In  1792  McGee  was  placed  in  charge  of  this  circuit.  InT 
the  following  year  he  located.  About  this  time  he  was 
married  to  a  Miss  Johnson,  of  that  section.  But  he  did 
not  cease  to  render  active  service  to  the  Church.  Both  he 
and  his  Presbyterian  brother,  William,  were  shining  lights 
in  the  great  camp-meetings  which  were  started  in  1794. 
These  meetings  proved  a  means  of  drawing  together  large 
congregations  and  concentrating  public  thought  on  the  sub- 
ject of  religion.  Thousands  wTere  brought  into  the  Church. 
So  intense  grew  the  religious  interest  it  seemed  that  the  mil- 
lennium was  approaching.  Twenty  thousand  people  gathered 
for  weeks  in  the  woods,  singing  and  prayiug ;  the  encampment 
lit  up  at  night  with  pine-torches  below  and  the  stars  over- 
head ;  the  groans  of  the  penitents  agonizing  for  pardon ;  the 
shouts  of  the  redeemed  as  they  found  the  salvation  of  the 
Lord — present  a  scene  which  belongs  to  the  early  history  of 
Methodism.  It  has  passed.  In  1798  McGee  removed  to 
Sumner,  afterward  Smith  county,  Tennessee,  whither  his 
Brother  William  had  preceded  him ;  and  in  these  new  fields 
he  introduced  the  camp-meeting.  Whatever  objections  may 
be  raised  against  them  now,  since  the  country  has  become 
more  densely  populated,  they  were  a  means  of  great  spirit- 
ual blessing  to  the  sparsely  settled  sections  of  the  far  West. 
The  following  letter  from  McGee  to  his  son-in-law,  Rev. 
Thomas  Logan  Douglass,  at  the  time  presiding  elder  of 
Nashville  District,  appeared  in  the  Methodist  Magazine  for 
May,  1821.  It  is  not  only  a  graphic  picture  of  the  early 
camp-meeting,  but  it  serves  to  give  us  an  intimation  of  the 
spirit  of  the  man,  and  we  have  thought  proper  to  repro- 
duce it  here: 

"June  23,  1820. 
"  In  compliance  with  your  request,  I  have  endeavored  to 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  243 

recollect  some  of  the  most  noted  circumstances  which  oc- 
curred at  the  commencement  of  the  work  of  God  in  the 
States  of  Kentucky  and  Tennessee,  and  which  came  under 
my  observation  in  1799  and  the  two  following  years.  I 
suppose  I  am  one  of  the  two  brothers  referred  to  in  '  The- 
ophilus  Armenius's  account  of  the  work  of  God  in  the 
Western  country.'  My  Brother  William  McGee  is  fallen 
asleep  in  the  bosom  of  his  beloved  Master.  We  were  much  at- 
tached to  each  other  from  our  infancy,  but  much  more  so  when 
we  both  experienced  the  uniting  love  of  Jesus  Christ.  I  was 
the  oldest,  and  by  the  mercy  and  grace  of  God  sought  and 
experienced  religion  first.  With  great  anxiety  of  mind,  he 
heard  me  preach  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ  before  he 
felt  or  enjoyed  peace  with  God.  After  he  obtained  religion 
he  thought  proper  to  receive  holy  orders  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church ;  and  after  preaching  some  time  in  Xorth  Carolina,  and 
in  the  Holston  country,  he  came  to  Cumberland  (now  West 
Tennessee)  about  the  year  1796  or  1797,  and  settled  in  a  con- 
gregation in  Sumner  county  about  the  year  1798.  Several 
reasons  induced  me  to  remove  with  my  family  from  Carolina 
to  the  Western  country,  and  in  the  year  1798  I  settled  in 
Sumner  (now  Smith)  county.  The  difference  of  doctrine 
professed  by  the  Presbyterian  and  Methodist  Churches  was 
not  sufficient  to  dissolve  those  ties  of  love  and  affection 
which  we  both  felt.  We  loved  and  prayed  and  preached 
together;  and  God  was  pleased  to  own  and  bless  our  labors. 
In  1799  we  agreed  to  make  a  tour  through  the  Barrens  to- 
ward Ohio,  and  concluded  to  attend  a  sacramental  solemnity 
in  the  Rev.  Mr.  INfcGready's  congregation,  on  Red  River, 
in  our  way.  When  we  came  there  I  was  introduced  by  my 
brother,  and  received  an  invitation  to  address  the  congrega- 
tion from  the  pulpit,  and  I  knew  not  that  God  ever  favored 
me  with  more  light  and  liberty  than  he  did  each  day  while 
I  endeavored  to  convince  the  people  they  were  sinners,  and 


244  The  Pioneers  of  M&hodwm 

urged  the  necessity  of  repentance,  and  of  a  change  from 
nature  to  grace,  and  held  up  to  their  view  the  greatness, 
freeness,  and  fullness  of  salvation  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus 
for  lost,  guilty,  condemned  sinners.  My  brother  and  the 
I\ev.  Mr.  Hodge  preached  with  much  animation  and  lib- 
erty. The  people  felt  the  force  of  the  truth,  and  tears  ran 
down  their  cheeks,  but  all  was  silent  until  Monday,  the  last 
day  of  the  feast.  Mr.  Hodge  gave  a  useful  discourse;  an 
intermission  was  given,  and  I  was  appointed  to  preach. 
While  Mr.  Hodge  was  preaching,  a  woman  in  the  east  end 
of  the  house  got  an  uncommon  blessing,  broke  through  or- 
der, shouted  for  some  time,  and  then  sat  down  in  silence. 
At  the  close  of  the  sermon,  Messrs.  Hodge  and  McGready 
went  out  of  the  house ;  my  brother  and  myself  sat  still ;  the 
people  seemed  to  have  no  disposition  to  leave  their  seats. 
My  brother  felt  such  a  power  come  on  him  that  he  quit  his 
seat  and  sat  down  on  the  floor  of  the  pulpit  (I  suppose  not 
knowing  what  he  did) ;  a  power  which  caused  me  to  trem- 
ble was  upon  me.  There  was  a  solemn  weeping  all  over  the 
house.  Having  a  wish  to  preach,  I  strove  against  my  feel- 
ings. At  length  I  rose  up,  and  told  the  people  I  was  ap- 
pointed to  preach,  but  there  was  a  greater  than  I  preaching, 
and  exhorted  them  to  let  the  Lord  God  omnipotent  reign 
in  their  hearts,  and  submit  to  him,  and  their  souls  should 
live.  Many  broke  the  silence ;  the  woman  in  the  east  end 
of  the  house  shouted  tremendously.  I  left  the  pulpit  to  go 
to  her,  and  as  I  went  along  through  the  people  the  thought 
came  to  me:  'You  know  these  people  are  much  for  order; 
they  will  not  bear  the  confusion.  Go  back  and  be  quiet.' 
I  turned  to  go  back,  and  was  near  falling.  The  power  of 
God  was  so  strong  upon  me  I  turned  again,  and  losing  sight 
of  the  fear  of  man,  I  went  through  the  house  shouting  and 
exhorting  with  all  possible  ecstasy  and  energy,  and  the  floor 
was  soon  covered  with  the  slain.     Their  screams  for  mercy 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  245 

pierced  the  heavens,  and  mercy  came  down.  Some  found 
forgiveness,  and  many  went  away  from  that  meeting  feeling 
unutterable  agonies  of  soul  for  redemption  in  the  blood  of 
Jesus.  This  was  the  beginning  of  that  glorious  revival  of 
religion  in  this  country  which  was  so  great  a  blessing  to 
thousands;  and  from  this  meeting  camp-meetings  took  their 
rise.  One  man,  for  the  want  of  horses  for  all  his  family  to 
ride  and  attend  the  meeting,  fixed  up  his  wagon,  in  which 
he  took  them  and  his  provisions,  and  lived  on  the  ground 
throughout  the  meeting.  He  had  left  his  worldly  cares  be- 
hind him,  and  had  nothing  to  do  but  attend  on  divine  serv- 
ice. 

"The  next  popular  meeting  was  on  Muddy  River,  and 
this  was  a  camp -meeting.  A  number  of  wagons,  loaded 
with  people,  came  together,  and  camped  on  the  ground,  and 
the  Lord  was  present,  and  approved  of  their  zeal  by  sealing 
a  pardon  to  about  forty  souls.  The  next  camp-meeting  was 
on  the  Ridge,  where  there  was  an  increase  of  people,  and 
carriages  of  different  descriptions,  and  a  great  many  preach- 
ers -of  the  Presbyterian  and  Methodist  order,  and  some  of 
the  Baptist,  but  the  latter  were  generally  opposed  to  the 
work.  Preaching  commenced,  and  the  people  prayed,  and 
the  power  of  God  attended.  There  was  a  great  cry  for 
mercy.  The  nights  were  truly  awful;  the  camp-ground 
was  well  illuminated ;  the  people  were  differently  exercised 
all  over  the  ground,  some  exhorting,  some  shouting,  some 
praying,  and  some  crying  for  mercy,  while  others  lay  as 
dead  men  on  the  ground.  Some  of  the  spiritually  wounded 
fled  to  the  woods,  and  their  groans  could  be  heard  all  through 
the  surrounding  groves,  as  the  groans  of  dying  men.  From 
thence  many  came  into  the  camp  rejoicing  and  praising  God, 
having  found  redemption  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  At  this 
meeting  it  was  computed  that  one  hundred  souls  were  con- 
verted  from  nature  to  grace.      But  perhaps  the  greatest 


246  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

meeting  we  ever  witnessed  in  this  country  took  place  shortly- 
after  on  Desha's  Creek,  near  Cumberland  River.  Many  thou- 
sands of  people  attended.  The  mighty  power  and  mercy  of 
God  was  manifested.  The  people  fell  before  the  word  like 
corn  before  a  storm  of  wind,  and  many  rose  from  the  dust 
with  divine  glory  shining  in  their  countenances,  and  gave 
glory  to  God  in  such  strains  as  made  the  hearts  of  stubborn 
sinners  tremble;  and  after  the  first  gust  of  praise  they  would 
break  forth  in  volleys  of  exhortation.  Amongst  these  were 
many  small  home-bred  boys,  who  spoke  with  the  tongue, 
wisdom,  and  eloquence  of  the  learned;  and  truly  they  were 
learned,  for  they  were  all  taught  of  God,  who  had  taken 
their  feet  out  of  the  mire  and  clay,  and  put  a  new  song  in 
their  mouths.  Although  there  were  converts  of  different 
ages  under  this  work,  it  was  remarkable  they  were  general- 
ly the  children  of  praying  parents.  Here  John  A.  Granade, 
the  Western  poet,  who  composed  the  Pilgrim  songs,  after  be- 
ing many  months  in  almost  entire  desperation,  till  he  was 
worn  down  and  appeared  like  a  walking  skeleton,  found 
pardon  and  mercy  from  God,  and  began  to  preach  a  risen 
Jesus.  Some  of  the  Pharisees  cried  disorder  and  confusion, 
but  in  disorderly  assemblies  there  are  generally  dislocated 
and  broken  bones,  and  bruised  flesh;  but  here  the  women 
laid  their  sleeping  children  at  the  roots  of  trees,  while  hun- 
dreds of  all  ages  and  colors  were  stretched  on  the  ground  in 
the  agonies  of  conviction,  and  as  dead  men,  while  thousands 
day  and  night  were  crowding  around  them,  and  passing  to 
and  fro;  and  yet  there  was  nobody  hurt,  which  shows  that 
these  people  were  perfectly  in  their  senses.  And  on  this 
chaos  God  said,  'Let  there  be  light,'  and  there  was  light, 
and  many  emerged  out  of  darkness  into  it.  We  have  hard- 
ly ever  held  a  camp-meeting  since  without  his  presence  and 
power  to  convert  souls.  Glory  to  God  and  the  Lamb  for- 
ever and  ever!     Yours  respectfully,  John  McGee." 


In  North  Carolina,  and  Virginia*  247 

Asbury  rejoiced  at  the  introduction  of  the  camp-meeting 
as  peculiarly  adapted  to  the  wants  of  the  West.  "  It  gave 
him  immense  congregations,  and  added  the  people  to  the 
Church  by  thousands."  From  one  of  them  he  wrote:  "I 
cannot  say  how  I  felt,  nor  how  near  heaven."  Again:  "I 
pray  God  that  there  may  be  twenty  camp-meetings  a  week ! " 
And  again:  "More  of  camp-meetings!  I  hear  and  see  the 
great  effects  produced  by  them." 

The  camp-meetings  produced  a  religious  interest  through- 
out the  whole  country,  and  were  the  means  of  carrying  on 
the  great  revival  which  began  with  the  nineteenth  century 
and  continued  to  grow  several  years.  But  as  the  great  re- 
ligious excitement  was  maintained,  there  appeared  at  the 
meetings,  and  sometimes  elsewhere,  a  "  physical  phenome- 
non" not  to  be  mentioned  even  now  without  a  sensation  of 
fear.  "The  jerks"  are  one  of  the  mysteries  in  the  history 
of  religion.  "Violent  opposers  were  sometimes  seized  by 
them ;  men  with  imprecations  upon  their  lips  were  suddenly 
smitten  with  them."  Drunkards,  attempting  to  drown  the 
effect  by  liquors,  could  not  hold  the  bottle  to  their  lips. 
Their  convulsed  arm  would  drop  it  or  shiver  it  against  the 
surrounding  trees.  Horsemen  charging  in  upon  camp-meet- 
ings to  disperse  them  were  arrested  by  the  strange  affection 
at  the  very  boundaries  of  the  worshiping  circles — sometimes 
struck  from  their  saddles  as  if  by  a  flash  of  lightning — and 
were  violently  shaken  the  more  they  endeavored  to  resist 
the  inexplicable  power.  .  .  .  Infidels  and  scorners  could 
hardly  dare  oppose  them,  for  they  themselves  were  often 
seized  by  the  mysterious  affection,  while  their  arguments  or 
jests  were  but  half  uttered ;  and  drunken  revilers  were  smit- 
ten by  it  when  alluding  to  it  in  their  carousals  in  bar-rooms." 
The  most  thoughtful  people  became  alarmed,  and  gradually 
camp-meetings  fell  into  disfavor. 

McGee's  latter  days  were  spent  in  the  quiet  of  his  beauti- 


248  Tlie  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

ful  country  home,  Dear  Dixon's  Springs,  Smith  county,  Ten- 
nessee. He  raised  a  family  of  four  daughters  and  one  son. 
His  eldest  daughter  married  Rev.  T.  JU  Douglass;  another 
married  Rev.  Thomas  Jovner;  another,  Col.  Burchett  Doug- 
lass;  the  other,  Dr.  Timothy  Walton.  He  is  said  to  have 
excelled  as  a  farmer  as  well  as  a  preacher.  His  beautiful 
farm  evinced  the  care  of  an  industrious,  energetic  spirit,  as 
his  pulpit  success  had  crowned  a  living,  toilsome  zeal  for  the 
Master.  He  was  well  educated  in  the  English  branches,  and 
was  noted  as  a  preacher  of  fine  address.  A  bold  defender 
%i  Methodism,  he  did  no  mean  service  in  laying  broad  foun- 
dations for  her  future  growth  and  prosperity.  He  died  from 
an  ulcer  on  his  arm,  and  breathed  his  last  at  his  country 
home,  leaving  the  old  fields  of  his  toils  and  triumphs  in  the 
ministry,  and  the  quiet  of  his  latter  retirement,  to  join  in 
the  everlasting  shout  of  victory  before  the  Throne,  and  to 
enjoy  the  endless  "rest  that  remaineth  to  the  people  of 
God."  . 

WILLIAM  ORMOND. 

"TTTITHIN  the  bounds  of  the  Snow  Hill  Circuit,  North 
V  V  Carolina  Conference,  there  is  a  monument  to  the 
memory  of  one  of  the  heroes  of  early  Methodism,  more  en- 
during than  brass  or  marble.  These  may  be  demolished  or 
forgotten,  but  "Ormond's  Chapel,"  with  its  hallowed  asso- 
ciations, so  dear  to  hundreds  of  living  hearts,  and  so  em- 
balmed in  memories  of  the  departed,  will  ever  be  connected 
with  the  history  of  Methodism  in  North  Carolina.  The  first 
structure  was  erected  with  funds  bequeathed  for  that  pur- 
pose by  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  and  it  is  eminently  proper 
that  this  place  of  worship  shall  ever  perpetuate  the  name 
and  memory  of  one  of  the  purest  men  that  ever  laid  down 
his  life  in  the  service  of  Christ.  Certainly  no  more  suita- 
ble monument  could  have  been  suggested.     Like  Jacob's 


Iii  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  249 

well,  a  means  of  blessing  to  the  generations  who  succeed 
him,  it  symbolizes  the  spirit  of  active,  loving  service  which 
was  in  him  whose  name  it  bears,  and  who,  after  devoting 
his  life  to  the  best  interests  of  humanity,  sealed  his  work  by 
dying,  like  a  hero,  at  the  post  of  duty  in  a  time  of  danger. 

Only  the  true  Christian  is  a  true  hero.  The  one  Perfect 
Man,  he  "in  whom  dwelt  all  the  fullness  of  the  Godhead 
bodily,"  submitted  to  be  bruised  and  smitten  of  men;  he 
bore,  without  show  or  feeling  of  resentment,  the  wrongs,  in- 
sults, and  persecutions  of  the  world;  but  when  "his  hour 
was  come,"  he  went  to  his  death  with  a  sublime  fortitude 
and  courage  which  sealed  his  claims  to  divinity  forever. 
The  history  of  early  Methodism  presents  to  us  many  char- 
acters who  were  afraid  to  resent  the  indignities  that  were 
heaped  upon  them — but  it  was  a  fear  of  God,  not  man — 
and  these  very  men  could  brave  all  manner  of  danger,  and 
go  to  their  death  with  a  song  and  a  shout  upon  their  lips. 

William  Ormond  did  not  live  long  enough  to  attain  the 
place  in  history  which  others  of  more  extended  experience 
have  won,  but  his  twelve  years  of  itinerant  service  suffice 
to  show  what  might  have  been  expected  of  him  in  later  life ; 
and  the  occasional  and  fragmentary  notices  of  him  in  the  as 
yet  unsatisfactory  records  of  our  Church's  history,  patiently 
gathered  from  various  sources  and  thrown  together,  will 
enable  us  to  form  an  estimate  of  the  man ;  and  that  is  the 
purpose  of  our  present  task. 

He  was  born  of  respectable  parents  in  what  was  then 
known  as  Dobbs  county,  and  near  the  present  town  of 
Kinston,  North  Carolina,  on  the  22d  of  December,  1769. 
His  parents  were  considered  wealthy  in  that  clay,  and  left 
him  a  patrimony  which,  had  he  been  guided  by  different 
views  of  life  and  duty,  might  have  developed  into  a  consid- 
erable fortune;  but  when  he  gave  himself  to  Christ,  he  made 
an   entire  consecration  of  every  thing  to  his  service.     AVe 


250  Tlie  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

know  but  little  as  to  his  early  life  and  education.  It  is 
probable,  from  the  small  number  and  inferior  character  of 
the  institutions  of  learning  in  the  country  at  that  time,  that 
his  early  literary  advantages  would  be  now  considered  very 
meager ;  yet  his  brethren  speak  of  him  as  one  of  the  most 
"gifted"  of  their  number. 

These  grand  old  heroes  have  left  us  little  information  con- 
cerning themselves,  but  the  few  notes  which  they  made  are 
full  of  interest  and  significance.    Mr.  Ormond  seems  to  have 
been  no  exception  to  the  rule,   and  the  following  record, 
which  the  Church  has  preserved  with  fidelity,  embraces  what 
he  considered  the  most  important  events  in  his  life : 
"Convicted,  10th  December,  1787; 
Converted,  11th  December,  1787; 
Sanctified,  20th  March,  1790." 

A  little  reflection  may  show  us  a  deeper  significance  in 
these  notes  than  we  might  at  first  be  disposed  to  accord  to 
them.  One  of  the  great  secrets  underlying  the  marvelous 
success  of  our  pioneer  ministry  is  found  in  the  fact  that 
they  "knew  they  had  passed  from  darkness  unto  light." 
They  remembered — ah!  never  to  forget  it — the  day  "when 
God,  for  Christ's  sake,  spoke  peace  to  their  souls."  They 
lived  in  daily,  prayerful  communion  with  their  God  and 
Saviour,  lest  they  should  lose  "the  pearl  of  great  price,"  and 
fail,  at  last,  of  eternal  life.  To  them,  time  was  nothing, 
eternity  was  every  thing;  they  were  "dead,  and  their  lives 
were  hid  with  Christ  in  God."  And  these  men  were  preach- 
ers called  of  God.  They  were  watchmen  on  the  walls  of 
Zion.  Their  business  it  was  to  show  the  sinner  the  exceed- 
ing sinfulness  of  sin,  to  strip  him  of  the  garments  of  his 
vain  excuses,  to  reveal  to  him,  as  messengers  and  embassa- 
dors of  Christ,  his  wretched,  lost  condition,  and  then  to  point 
him  to  the  Lamb  of  God,  slain  for  the  sin  of  the  world. 
They  spoke  as  those  having  authority;  an   audible  voice 


In  North  Carolina  and   Virginia.  251 

from  the  throne  of  heaven  could  hardly  have  added  to  their 
conviction  of  their  duty  to  preach.  By  faith,  they  felt  the 
weight  of  the  divine  hand  laid  upon  them ;  by  faith,  they 
heard  the  voice  bidding  them  "cry  aloud,  and  spare  not;" 
and  in  the  inmost  heart  of  every  true  man  among  them 
burned  this  conviction,  "  Woe  is  unto  me,  if  I  preach  not  the 
gospel ! "  And  they  preached  the  gospel — the  good  news  of 
God's  grace  abounding  to  the  chief  of  sinners — they  made 
the  sinner  feel  and  see  his  burden  of  guilt  and  shame, 
pointed  him  to  Christ  for  salvation,  and  trusted  to  God's 
Spirit  to  do  the  rest.  There  was  a  realm  they  dared  not 
enter.  They  did  not  attempt  to  simplify  or  explain  away 
the  mystery  of  the  new  birth;  they  did  not  make  justifying 
faith  so  simple  a  thing  that  the  sinner  in  his  sins  could  un- 
derstand it ;  they  did  not  make  the  religion  of  pardon  and 
trust  a  thing  that  the  sinner  could  obtain  without  forsak- 
ing his  sins  and  laying  his  all  of  service  a  willing  sacrifice 
upon  the  altar  of  Christ.  They  preached  of  sin,  of  right- 
eousness, and  of  judgment.  Their  great  themes  were  re- 
pentance, justification,  sanctification,  and  adoption,  and  un- 
der their  preaching  the  world  was  moved,  the  ranks  of  sin 
were  broken;  men  were  converted,  regenerated,  led  to  an 
experimental  knowledge  of  Christ  as  a  living  personal  Sav- 
iour  and  Redeemer,  and  made  to  rejoice  in  the  fullness  and 
freeness  of  the  divine  love. 

It  was  such  an  experience  in  the  divine  life,  such  a  con- 
secration of  self  and  service,  and  such  a  conviction  of  duty, 
that  William  Ormond  brought  with  him  into  the  Conference 
in  1791.  Without  attempting  to  follow  him  through  his 
several  years  of  service,  we  will  simply  give  here  the  various 
appointments  to  which  he  was  assigned:  1791,  Tar  River; 
1792,  Goshen;  1793,  Pamlico;  1794,  New  Hope;  1795, 
Sussex;  1796,  Trent;  1797,  Roanoke;  1798,  Portsmouth; 
1799,    Washington    (Georgia);    1800,    Tar    River;    1801, 


252  Tlie  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

Brunswick;    1802,  Salisbury;    1803,  Norfolk  and   Ports- 
mouth. 

As  a  man,  he  was  quick  in  his  bodily  movement  arid  in 
his  perceptions;  generous,  affectionate,  fervid,  and  faithful. 
In  all  his  relations,  he  exemplified  the  truth  of  Bayard 
Taylor's  oft-quoted  lines: 

The  bravest  are  the  tenderest, 
The  loving  are  the  daring. 

He  lived  above  those  motives  of  cold,  calculating  policy 
which  too  often  prevail,  even  among  ministers,  and  never 
inquired  whether  or  not  a  measure  was  popular  before  sup- 
porting it.  He  was  rapidly  becoming  a  leader  of  public 
thought  when  removed  by  death. 

At  the  General  Conference  of  1800  he  introduced  a  mo- 
tion which  created  no  little  discussion,  through  successive 
years,  before  it  was  finally  defeated — namely,  "That  the 
Yearly  Conferences  be  authorized  to  nominate  and  elect 
their  own  presiding  elders." 

His  motion,  at  the  same  Conference,  "To  make  local 
deacons  eligible  to  the  elder's  office,"  though  defeated 
here  by  a  vote  of  forty-seven  nays  to  thirty-six  ayes,  was 
destined  to  pass,  twelve  years  later,  into  a  law  of  the 
Church. 

Ormond  was  now  entering  the  prime  of  his  manhood,  and 
a  brilliant  career  of  usefulness  seemed  to  spread  out  before 
him.  His  affectionate  nature,  his  tender  sensibilities,  his 
compassionate  interest  in  all  who  wore  the  garb  of  human- 
ity, his  striking  natural  gifts,  and  his  entire  consecration, 
made  him  a.  power  in  the  pulpit  and  out  of  it,  and  gave  a 
peculiar  impressiveness  and  tenderness  to  his  public  prayers. 
He  was  a  marked  leader  in  the  great  revival  of  1802,  in 
Western  North  Carolina,  being  at  that  time  on  the  Salis- 
bury Circuit.  From  the  scene  of  the  revival,  that  year,  on 
Yadkin  Circuit,  Daniel  Asburv  wrote:  "After  Brother  Or- 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  253 

mond's  sermon,  under  prayer,  the  Lord  displayed  his  power 
in  an  increasing  manner." 

But  whatever  of  service  he  might  have  given  in  after- 
years,  an  all-wise  and  inscrutable  Providence  ordained  it 
otherwise,  and  permitted  him  only  to  leave  to  the  Church 
of  his  choice  the  example  of  one  who  was  faithful  to  duty, 
even  unto  death. 

In  1803,  he  was  appointed,  with  Joseph  Toy,  to  Norfolk 
and  Portsmouth.  While  here,  the  yellow  fever  appeared, 
and  began  its  work  of  death.  From  the  scene  of  its  ravages 
he  wrote  to  a  friend:  "I  expect  to  continue  upon  my  sta- 
tion, for  it  appears  I  cannot  well  leave  at  this  time.  I  might 
as  well  die  of  the  fever  as  with  any  other  affliction,  and  there 
is  as  direct  a  passage  from  Norfolk  to  heaven  as  from  any 
other  part  of  the  globe.  I  have  no  widow  to  weep  over  my 
lifeless  body,  no  babes  to  mourn  for  a  father,  and  I  find  this 
world  a  dangerous  and  troublesome  place." 

He  was  called  off,  two  months  later,  to  attend  the  meet- 
ing of  a  committee  on  some  business  of  the  Church  in  the 
country,  but  the  seeds  of  death  were  already  sown.  After 
attending  the  meeting,  and  as  he  was  returning  to  his  post, 
he  was  taken  with  the  fever,  and  died  at  the  house  of  a 
friend,  in  Brunswick  county,  Virginia,  October  30,  1803. 
His  last  hours  were  blessed  by  the  consolations  of  the  gos- 
pel, and  he  died  with  the  shout  of  victory  upon  his  lips. 

The  "early  minutes"  tell  us  that  "he  left  a  legacy  to  the 
Conference,  another  to  build  a  house  for  God,  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  his  nativity;  the  balance  to  his  relations,  with 
particular  instructions  that  a  part  of  it  be  applied  to  the 
education  of  their  children." 


2.">4  The  Pioneer*  of  Methodism 

JAMES  JENKINS. 

IT  is  interesting  to  note  the  various  shades  of  character 
that  were  brought  out  by  the  Wesleyan  movement,  and 
more  interesting  still  to  witness  the  utilization,  by  an  over- 
ruling Providence,  of  the  various  types  and  degrees  of  tal- 
ent, in  the  work  of  saving «souls  and  advancing  the  kingdom 
of  Christ.  When  Paul  asked,  "  Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have 
me  to  do?"  he  expressed  his  recognition  of  individual  duty 
and  responsibility,  and  his  acquiescence  in  the  divine  purpose 
and  plan  in  his  creation.  When  David  said,  "  I  had  rather 
be  a  door-keeper  in  the  house  of  my  God  than  to  dwell  in 
the  tents  of  wickedness,"  he  expressed  his  willingness  to  do 
the  kind  of  work  which  Infinite  Wisdom  had  prepared  him 
for  performing.  Here  lies  the  secret  of  success  in  the  Chris- 
tian life — submission  to  the  divine  will,  and  conformity  to 
the  divine  purpose.  When  Paul  brought  himself  and  laid 
his  all  upon  the  altar  of  the  divine  will  and  asked,  "  Lord, 
what  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do?"  the  question  was  answered, 
the  desired  direction  was  given.  And  it  was  an  abiding 
consciousness  of  his  individual  acquiescence  in  and  conform- 
ity to  the  divine  purpose,  united  with  his  unwavering  faith 
in  God,  that  enabled  him  to  rejoice  in  tribulations,  and  to 
declare  that  he  had  learned  in  whatsoever  state  he  was 
"therewith  to  be  content."  This  willingness  to  "endure 
hardness  as  good  soldiers" — resulting  from  an  entire  conse- 
cration, and  an  abiding  faith  in  the  divine  guidance — this 
readiness  to  render  the  entire  service  in  just  the  field  for 
which  God  had  adapted  and  to  which  he  called  the  subject, 
was  beautifully  exemplified  in  the  pioneer  Methodist  minis- 
try; and  in  this  fact  we  may  read  the  secret  underlying 
their  wonderful  success.  The  history  of  Methodism  is  in- 
deed wonderful,  and  the  chain  of  circumstances  which  con- 
nects its  origin  with  its  firm  establishment  shows  in  its  sev- 


Iii  Xortli  Carolina  and  Virgin  in.  255 

eral  links  the  molding  hand  of  Providence.  Various  shades 
and  degrees  of  talent  finding  their  proper  fields  for  use- 
fulness—  various  types  of  pulpit  power  suiting  to  various 
shades  of  human  character  and  temperament,  showing  the 
directing  mind  of  the  great  Captain  of  our  salvation,  lead- 
ing this  sacramental  host  on  to  victory. 

For  many  years,  and  until  the  year  1847,  the  name  of 
James  Jenkins  stood  upon  the  roll  of  the  South  Carolina 
Conference,  connecting  that  generation  with  the  noble  band 
of  pioneer  heroes  who  had  gone  before.  In  the  year  1792 
he  had  joined  the  Conference,  and  his  fields  of  labor  were 
as  follows:  1792,  Cherokee  Circuit;  1793,  Oconee;  1794, 
Santee;  1795,  Broad  River  and  Edisto;  1796,  Great  Pedee; 
1797,  Washington,  Georgia;  1798,  Bladen,  North  Carolina; 
1799,  Edisto;  1800,  Santee  and  Catawba;  1801,  South  Car- 
olina District;  1802-4,  Camden  District;  1805,  superannu- 
ated; 1806,  located.  He  reentered  in  1812,  aud  was  ap- 
pointed to  TVateree  Circuit,  but  located  again  in  1813. 
From  1831  to  1847  he  sustained  a  superannuated  relation 
to  the  Conference. 

He  is  described  as  "  tall  and  commanding  in  person,  with 
a  face — even  in  old  age — expressive  of  great  energy  and 
courage,  and  a  voice — until  impaired  by  long  use — clear  and 
trumpet-toned."  He  belonged  to  the  class  of  preachers 
popularly  known  as  "  Sons  of  Thunder,"  and  was  famil- 
iarly called  " Thundering  Jimmy,"  "Bawling  Jimmy,"  etc. 
So  vigilant  was  he  in  his  oversight  of  the  young  preachers, 
and  so  ready  to  correct  what  appeared  to  him  to  be  errors 
in  them,  that  he  was  styled  by  the  preachers  "the  curry- 
comb of  the  Conference." 

Whatever  objections  criticism  may  make  to  such  a  char- 
acter in  this  day,  it  is  at  least  certain  that  James  Jenkins 
accomplished  a  work  in  his  generation  that  will  live  for 
eternity,  and  his  consecration  to  the  work  of  the  ministry, 


25G  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

his  devotedness  to  Christ,  underlying  all  his  conduct  and 
shining  out  in  the  motives  impelling  his  actions,  would  com- 
mand respect  and  win  veneration  in  any  day.  It  was  under 
hi*  ministry  that  those  grand  pillars  of  early  Methodism, 
Keddick  and  Lovick  Pierce,  were  converted.  Of  the  former 
of  these  we  shall  have  occasion  to  speak  in  another  sketch. 
The  latter  tells  us  that  Jenkins  was  the  first  man  that  he 
ever  heard  preach  "  with  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
come  down  from  heaven."  Had  he  done  nothing  else,  these 
seals  to  his  ministry  would  have  justly  won  for  him  the  ev- 
erlasting gratitude  of  the  Church  he  served  so  faithfully 
and  loved  so  well. 

Besides  the  traditions  that  have  reached  us  of  his  wonder- 
ful successes  in  proclaiming  the  glad  tidings  of  salvation, 
showing  the  "  exceeding  sinfulness  of  sin,"  and  constraining 
the  listening  multitudes,  overwhelmed  by  the  storm  of  his 
exordiums,  to  turn  to  a  living  Advocate  and  Eedeemer,  be- 
fore their  day  of  probation  ended,  we  have,  fortunately,  a 
few  old  letters  that  he  wrote  to  Bishop  Asbury,  and  which 
we  give  as  valuable  not  only  in  bringing  out  the  man  in 
living  colors  before  us,  but  as  contributing  to  the  history  of 
Southern  Methodism: 

"Camdex,  S.  C,  June  30,  1802. 

"Hell  is  trembling,  and  Satan's  kingdom  is  falling. 
Through  Georgia,  South  and  North  Carolina,  the  sacred, 
flame  and  holy  fire  of  God,  amidst  all  the  opposition,  is  ex- 
tending far  and  wide.  I  may  say  with  safety  that  hundreds 
of  sinners  have  been  awakened  and  converted  this  year  in 
the  above-named  States. 

"The  general  meeting  held  at  the  Waxaws,  was  on  the 
last  of  May.  Five  Methodist,  five  Baptist,  and  twelve  Pres- 
byterian ministers  officiated.  The  Lord  was  present  and 
wrought  for  his  own  glory;  sinners  were  converted  on  all 
sides,  and  numbers  found  the  Lord.     One  among  many  re- 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  257 

markable  cases  I  will  relate,  of  a  professed  atheist  who  fell 
to  the  earth  and  sent  for  Brother  Gassaway  to  pray  for  him. 
After  laboring  in  the  pangs  of  the  new  birth  for  some  time, 
the  Lord  gave  him  deliverance.  He  then  confessed  before 
hundreds  that  for  some  years  he  had  not  believed  there  was 
a  God,  but  now  had  found  him  gracious  to  his  soul. 

"  Not  far  from  Rutherford  court-house  there  was  another 
general  meeting  the  first  of  June,  1802.  The  same  power 
attended  the  meeting;  thousands  were  present;  many  poor 
sinners  felt  the  power  of  God,  and  were  raised  up  to  testify 
that  he  had  forgiven  their  sins. 

"  The  Methodists  had  another  general  meeting  a  few  days 
past  at  the  Hanging  Rock;  fifteen  ministers — Methodist, 
Baptist,  and  Presbyterian — with  about  three  thousand  peo- 
ple. The  work  began,  in  some  degree,  on  Friday  night. 
The  preachers  were  singing,  praying,  or  preaching  all  the 
night.  Saturday  evening  it  began  again  at  the  stand.  Sab- 
bath evening,  at  the  close  of  the  sacrament,  some  fell  to  the 
earth,  and  the  exercise  continued  the  whole  night.  Monday 
morning  the  people  came  together  again,  and  began  singing 
and  exhorting.  The  Lord  wrought  again,  and  this  was  the 
greatest  time.  They  were  crying  for  mercy  on  all  sides. 
•  One  man,  that  had  one  Sabbath  evening  been  in  a  dreadful 
and  unreasonable  rage,  at  the  close  of  this  meeting  the  Lord 
brought  to  plead  for  mercy.  I  found  him  weeping — he  had 
watered  the  ground  with  his  tears.  We  judged  twelve  or 
fifteen  found  peace.  A  letter  from  Daniel  Asbury  informs 
me  he  never  saw  such  a  work,  and  that  he  had  joined  fifty 
in  going  round  the  Yadkin  Circuit.  Brother  Mead  informs 
me  the  work  is  still  going  on  in  Georgia.  We  have  a  re- 
vrval  in  Anson  and  the  upper  part  of  Santee.  Brother  Gas- 
saway joined  at  one  time  nineteen,  and  at  another  seven- 
teen. There  is  also  a  revival  at  Bladen,  Kingston,  and  sev- 
eral other  places.  James  Jenkins." 
17 


258  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

"Camden  District,  July  28,  1803. 

"After  attending  several  camp-meetings,  the  particulars 
of  which  I  will  not  detail,  but  contenting  myself  with  say- 
ing the  Lord  was  with  us  at  every  one,  I  will  proceed  to 
give  you  an  account  of  one  held  in  Sandy  River  Circuit, 
which  began  the  first  day  of  July.  I  have  seen  in  my  trav- 
els many  good  and  great  times ;  but  among  sinners,  I  think 
this  was  the  greatest  I  ever  saw.  On  Saturday  the  Lord 
began  to  shake  Satan's  kingdom  in  a  glorious  manner.  On 
this  day  a  man  was  struck  with  the  power  of  God,  who 
tried  to  get  off  the  ground,  but  got  only  about  three  hundred 
yards,  when  he  fell  and  cried  for  mercy.  Another  such 
case  happened  on  Sunday.  One  of  the  brethren  and  myself 
retired  in  the  bushes  for  private  devotion.  Scarcely  were 
we  there  when  a  man  came  along  lamenting  his  wretched 
case,  two  men  following  him,  with  whom  he  pleaded  to  stay 
behind,  while  he  should  go  and  pour  out  his  soul  to  God. 
We  stood  and  listened  at  him — it  was  truly  affecting.  He 
confessed  his  sins  in  these  words:  'O  God,  I  have  sinned 
against  thee,  and  dared  thee  to  thy  face ;  and  I  deserve  noth- 
ing but  hell ;  yet  I  plead  for  mercy ! '  And  I  have  no  doubt 
he  obtained  that  mercy  he  pleaded  for.  On  Sunday  and 
Sunday  night  the  powers  of  darkness  gave  back.  Many 
sinners  were  on  the  ground  crying  for  mercy,  and  many  be- 
lievers crying  for  perfect  love.  About  twenty  found  re- 
demption in  the  blood  of  Jesus  at  that  time. 

"  I  next  attended  a  camp-meeting  in  Union  Circuit.  The 
Lord  was  with  us  indeed ;  many  were  convicted  and  several 
converted,  and  the  shouts  of  his  people  were  heard  afar  off. 
At  the  Waxaws  also  I  had  a  very  remarkable  and  gracious 
time;  though  this  was  chiefly  among  believers.  Several 
spoke  in  love-feast  and  testified  that  the  blood  of  Christ  had 
cleansed  them  from  all  sin.  Eight  more  professed  to  have 
received  the  same  blessing  and  the  same  witness  at  this 


Iii  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  259 

meeting.     Thus  the  work  goes  on.     May  it  spread  more  rap- 
idly, is  my  fervent  prayer. 

"I  am,  etc.,  James  Jenkins." 

"Wilmington,  N.  C,  October  18,  1804. 

"Our  first  camp-meeting  began  the  22d  of  June,  in  Bla- 
den Circuit,  about  ten  miles  from  Wilmington.  The  power 
of  God  was  present  to  wound  and  to  heal.  The  cries  of  the 
distressed,  and  the  shouts  of  joy  from  those  that  were  healed, 
were  truly  awful  and  pleasing.  The  work  broke  out  the 
first  day,  and  increased  until  Sunday  evening  and  Monday 
morning,  when  God  seemed  to  bow  the  heavens,  and  come 
like  the  rushing  of  a  mighty  wind.  The  slain  of  the  Lord 
were  many;  every  mouth  was  stopped,  and  confessed  that  it 
was  the  power  of  God.  On  Monday  morning  we  had  three 
persecutors  struck  with  the  power  of  God;  two  fell  and 
never  rose  till  God  spoke  peace  to  their  souls.  We  suppose 
that  there  were  seventy  souls  found  peace  with  God  through 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

"Our  next  camp -meeting  was  in  Great  Pedee  Circuit, 
at  Brother  E.  James's.  Upon  this  occasion  God  made  bare 
his  arm,  and  worked  for  his  own  glory.  Some  fell  under 
the  power  of  God,  and  others  found  redemption  in  the  blood 
of  the  Lamb.  There  is  still  a  blessed  work  in  that  circuit. 
There  was  a  camp-meeting  at  the  Hanging  Rock,  in  Santee  Cir- 
cuit. This  was  a  time  of  refreshing  from  the  presence  of  the 
Lord  to  souls  of  believers.  Sinners  were  awakened,  mourn- 
ers converted,  believers  sanctified,  and  backsliders  reclaimed. 

"  The  next  camp-meeting  was  at  the  Beauty  Spot,  21st  of 
September.  Ten  preachers  and  numbers  of  people.  We 
had  some  stir  on  Friday  night,  but  were  interrupted  by  the 
rain.  We  began  the  exercise  after  breakfast,  and  continued 
nearly  till  night  with  very  little  stir,  but  under  the  last 
prayer  the  power  of  God   came  down  among  the  people. 


260  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

The  saints  began  to  shout  aloud  and  praise  God,  and  sin- 
ners began  to  cry  for  mercy.  In  a  little  time  there  were 
many  agonizing  on  the  ground — some  found  the  pearl  of 
great  price.  The  work  lasted  nearly  all  night.  In  the 
morning  I  gave  them  my  farewell  from  2  Tim.  ii.  12.  This 
was  the  greatest  time  that  was  seen  among  the  preachers — 
they  were  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  last  camp-meet- 
ing is  just  over  in  Bladen  Circuit,  by  Brother  Gauteers. 
Ten  preachers  and  about  sixteen  hundred  people.  This  ex- 
ceeded all  that  I  ever  saw.  The  work  broke  out  the  first 
day,  and  increased  rapidly  until  we  left  the  ground.  The 
Lord  rode  forth  conquering  and  to  conquer;  the  devil's 
kingdom  fell  like  lightning  to  the  ground.  Many  sinners 
fell  under  a  sense  of  guilt  and  danger,  and  cried  aloud  as  if 
in  the  agony  of  death;  many  praising  God  for  pardoning 
love.  It  was  truly  affecting  to  see  parents,  with  their  chil- 
dren in  their  arms,  crying  over  them,  and  pleading  with 
them  to  serve  God;  children  pleading  with  their  parents  to 
flee  from  the  wrath  to  come.  All  souls  wTere  made  subjects 
of  the  work — males  and  females,  whites  and  blacks,  rich 
and  poor.  From  the  hoary -headed  sinner  to  children  of 
nine  years  old  were  the  subjects  of  this  blessed  work.  Many 
sinners  had  to  fly  from  the  ground  or  fall  under  the  power 
of  God.  One  sinner  that  had  been  burning  the  negroes 
that  were  down  at  last  fell  himself,  and  never  rose  till  he 
was  happy  in  God.  We  suppose  there  wTere  three  or  four 
hundred  Christians;  about  twelve  hundred  sinners,  and  of 
twelve  hundred  one  hundred  found  the  Lord.  We  left  the 
ground  about  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  then  several 
lay  on  the  ground  like  dead  men.  We  suppose  since  our 
first  camp-meeting  in  June  there,  have  been  about  three 
hundred  souls  converted  in  and  about  Bladen  Circuit.  We 
had  a  powerful  time  last  night  in  this  place.  Some  awaken- 
ings in  this  town  this  year. 


In  North  Carolina  and   Virginia,  201 

"I  have  labored  under  great  weakness  for  two  months — 
colds  and  fevers  latterly,  and  now  a  sore  leg;  but  have  kept 
along  hitherto.  I  do  not  expect  much  to  take  a  station 
next  year.  I  expect  to  meet  you  in  Camden.  I  am  as 
much  as  ever  thine  to  obey.  James  Jenkins." 

In  1809,  Bishop  Capers,  then  just  entering  the  itinerant 
work,  was  sent  to  the  circuit  on  which  Mr.  Jenkins  lived, 
the  latter,  at  that  time,  sustaining  to  the  Conference  a  local 
relation.  Speaking  of  the  neighborhood  of  Sawney's  Creek, 
the  Bishop  says : 

"Here  lived  that  most  remarkable  man  James  Jenkins, 
whose  goodness  no  one  ever  doubted,  but  whose  zeal  was 
always  brandishing  in  the  temple  a  scourge  of  not  very 
small  cords,  as  if  for  fear  that  some  one  might  be  present 
who  did  not  love  the  temple  well  enough  to  take  a  scourging 
for  it,  and  who  ought  therefore  to  be  driven  out;  and  in  full 
faith  that  the  more  men  were  beaten  the  better  for  them,  as 
it  would  make  them  more  humble  and  less  worldly-minded. 
His  was  the  first  house  I  entered  in  my  new  field  of  labor, 
and  if  I  might  have  been  driven  off  by  the  first  discourage- 
ment, that  might  have  been  my  first  and  last  appearance  in 
that  quarter.  I  seemed  to  be  younger,  greener,  and  a 
poorer  prospect  for  a  preacher  in  his  estimate  than  even  in 
my  own ;  and  he  was  an  old  preacher,  and  withal  a  famous 
one.  That  first  introduction  to  the  responsibilities  of  my 
new  charge  was  after  this  sort : 

"'Well,  have  they  sent  you  to  us  for  our  preacher?' 

"'Yes,  sir.' 

"'What,  you?  and  the  egg-shell  not  dropped  off  of  you 
yet !  Lord  have  mercy  upon  us !  And  who  have  they  sent 
in  charge?' 

" '  No  one,  sir,  but  myself.' 

" '  What,  you,  by  yourself?     You  in  charge  of  the  circuit? 


262  The  Pioneers  of  Method  Ism 

Why,  what  is  to  become  of  the  circuit?  The  Bishop  had 
just  as  well  have  seut  nobody.  What  can  you  do  in  charge 
of  the  circuit?' 

"'Very  poorly,  I  fear,  sir;  but  I  dare  say  the  Bishop 
thought  you  would  advise  me  about  the  discipline,  and  I 
am  sure  he  could  not  have  sent  one  who  would  follow  your 
advice  more  willingly,  Brother  Jenkins,  than  I  will.' 

" '  So,  so ;  I  suppose  then  I  am  to  take  charge  of  the  circuit 
for  you,  and  you  are  to  do  just  what  I  tell  you?' 

" '  I  would  be  very  glad,  sir,  to  have  you  take  charge  of 
the  circuit.' 

" '  Did  ever !  What,  I,  a  local  preacher,  take  charge  of  the 
circuit?  And  is  that  what  you  have  come  here  for?  Why, 
man,  you  know  nothing  about  your  business.  How  can  I 
take  charge  of  the  circuit?  No,  no;  but  I  can  see  you  do 
it,  such  a  charge  as  it  will  be ;  and  if  I  do  n't,  nobody  else 
will,  for  these  days  the  discipline  goes  for  nothing.' 

"And  he  groaned  deeply. 

"It  was  on  my  second  or  third  round  that  coming  to 
Brother  Jenkins's  he  asked  me,  in  his  usual  earnest  man- 
ner, how  many  members  I  had  turned  out  at  H meet- 
ing-house. 

"'None,  sir.' 

" '  What,  do  you  let  peojde  get  drunk,  run  for  the  bottle, 
and  turn  up  Jack,  and  keep  them  in  the  Church?' 

" '  My  dear  sir,  I  hope  nobody  does  so  at  H .    I  am  sure 

I  never  heard  of  it.' 

"  'A  pretty  piece  of  business,'  rejoined  he.  '  Why,  at  Polly 
H.'s  wedding,  a  whole  parcel  of  them  ran  for  the  bottle, 
and  old  J.  A.  held  it,  and  got  drunk  into  the  bargain.  And 
now  you,  the  preacher  in  charge,  come  here  and  tell  me 
that  you  never  heard  of  it,  though  I  can  hear  of  it  forty 
miles  off.' 


In  North   Carolina  and  Virginia.  263 

"  This  was  a  poser  for  mc.  With  feelings  too  sad  for  soci- 
ety, I  took  the  earliest  hour  for  retirement.  My  bed  was 
in  an  upper  room,  the  floor  of  which  was  made  of  loose  plank, 
without  ceiling  of  any  kind  at  the  lower  edges  of  the  joist, 
which  might  have  obstructed  the  passage  of  sound  from  the 
room  below.  And  I  had  not  been  long  in  bed  before  I  heard 
my  kind-hearted  sister  say : 

" '  O  Mr.  Jenkins,  you  do  not  know  how  much  you  have 
grieved  me ! ' 

" '  Grieved  you,  Betsy,'  replied  he ;  '  how  in  the  world  can 
I  have  grieved  you?' 

" '  By  the  way  you  have  talked  to  Brother  Capers.  I  am 
afraid  he  will  never  come  here  again.  How  can  you  talk 
to  him  so?' 

"'Why,  Betsy,  child,'  returned  he,  'don't  you  reckon  I 
love  Billy  as  well  as  you  do?  I  talk  to  him  because  I  love 
him.  He  '11  find  people  enough  to  honey  him  without  my 
doing  it ;  and  he  's  got  to  learn  to  stand  trials,  that 's  all.' 

"Sister  Jenkins  seemed  not  to  be  satisfied,  but  wished  to 
extort  a  promise  that  he  would  not  talk  so  roughly  to  me 
any  more.  But  his  conscience  was  concerned  in  that,  and 
he  would  not  promise  it — '  You  may  honey  him  as  much  as 
you  please,  but  I  go  for  making  him  a  Methodist  preacher.' 
'  Well,  then,'  thought  I, '  it 's  a  pity,  my  old  friend,  that  you 
should  spoil  your  work  by  not  tightening  your  floor.  You 
might  as  well  have  promised,  for  I  will  take  care  that  you 
shall  not  make  any  thing  by  the  refusal.'  The  next  morn- 
ing it  was  not  long  before  something  fetched  up  the  unpleas- 
ant theme,  and  as  he  was  warming  into  the  smiting  spirit,  I 
looked  in  his  face  and  smiled.  'What,'  said  he,  'do  you 
laugh  at  it?'  'As  well  laugh  as  cry,  Brother  Jenkins/  I 
returned ;  '  did  you  not  tell  Sister  Jenkins  that  you  loved 
me  as  well  as  she  did,  and  only  wanted  to  make  a  Method- 
ist preacher  out  of  me?     I  am  sure  you  would  not  have  me 


264  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

cry  for  any  tiling  that  is  to  do  me  .so  much  good.'  It  was 
all  over;  he  joined  in  the  laugh,  and  threw  away  his  seem- 
ing ill  humor.  But  as  for  the  matter  of  the  immoralities 
at  II ,  it  turned  out  to  be  all  a  hoax.  Borne  wag,  know- 
ing how  such  a  circumstance  would  trouble  him,  probably 
originated  the  tale  for  that  purpose." 

For  the  following  incidents  we  are  indebted  to  Shipp's 
"  History  of  Methodism  in  South  Carolina : " 

"At  a  protracted  meeting  in  one  of  the  larger  towns,  a 
talented  minister,  who  a  few  days  before  had  been  married 
to  a  most  excellent  young  lady  in  the  place,  preached  a 
carefully  prepared  sermon  to  a  large  congregation — in  which 
the  bride,  the  family,  and  divers  friends  were  included — on 
the  'frailty  of  man  and  the  immutability  of  the  gospel,' 
from  1  Peter  i.  24,  25.  In  the  discourse,  which  was  through- 
out highly  rhetorical  and  excessively  ornate,  there  occurred 
in  particular  a  passage  in  which  the  pyramids  of  Egypt  were 
made  to  stand  out  very  conspicuously  to  view.  Mr.  Jenkins, 
who  had  been  trained  in  a  widely  different  school  of  homi- 
letics,  and  who  had  been  requested  to  close  the  exercises 
after  him,  began  his  exhortation  by  saying:  'Brethren,  the 
hour  is  gone,  and  nobody  is  profited.  I  should  like  to  know 
what  the  pyramids  of  Egypt  have  to  do  with  converting 
souls.  Fire,  Holy  Ghost,  power,  is  what  we  want!'  And 
he  proceeded  to  criticise  in  unsparing  terms  of  severity  a 
style  of  j^reaching  so  revolting  to  his  taste,  and  so  foreign 
from  his  conception  of  the  proper  object  of  the  pulpit.  Not- 
withstanding the  mortification  on  the  one  side,  and  the  mer- 
riment on  the  other,  produced  for  a  time  by  the  severity  of 
his  strictures,  yet  by  his  honesty  of  purpose  and  earnestness 
of  spirit,  which  all  were  obliged  to  recognize,  he  brought 
the  services  to  a  close  amid  feelings  of  deepest  solemnity  and 
awe  on  the  vast  congregation. 

"  During  the  session  of  one  of  the  Conferences,  Mr.  Jen- 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  265 

kins  felt  bound  by  his  conscience  to  make  complaint  against 
a  young  preacher  who  had  allowed  himself  to  be  detained 
with  a  wedding-party  after  the  dancing  had  been  introduced. 
The  young  brother  pleaded  in  excuse  that  he  had  not  been 
notified  beforehand  that  there  was  to  be  dancing,  and  that 
he  was  imprisoned  in  a  room  from  which  there  was  no  way 
of  exit  without  going  through  the  hall  in  which  the  dancing 
was  going  on,  and  withal  the  door  was  kept  fast  closed. 
The  defense  was  not  at  all  satisfactory  to  Mr.  Jenkins,  who 
insisted  on  an  honest  application  of  discipline,  on  the  ground 
that  it  was  a  will  on  the  part  of  the  young  brother,  and  not 
a  way  of  egress,  that  was  wanting.  'If  I  had  been  there,' 
said  he,  'I  would  have  gotten  out  of  the  house  if  Satan  him- 
self had  been  the  door-keeper.'  " 

From  the  foregoing  letters  and  incidents,  the  reader  has 
formed  an  estimate  of  the  character  of  the  man.  Amid  all 
bis  peculiarities,  his  passionate  love  for  the  Master,  his  in- 
tense devotion  to  the  Church,  and  his  burning,  restless,  toil- 
some zeal  for  the  conversion  of  souls  and  the  honor  of  Zion 
shone  out  through  all  his  actions,  and  inspired  confidence  in 
all  who  knew  him.  And  while  this  zeal  led  him  to  criticise 
sharply  what  he  thought  to  be  wrong,  it  never  led  him — as 
it  so  often  does  others — "to  think  of  himself  more  highly 
than  he  ought  to  think."  A  beautiful  humility,  a  Christ- 
like spirit  of  self-abasement,  ran  through  his  whole  life,  tem- 
pering the  ardent  intentness  of  his  toilsome  love  for  Christ 
and  his  kingdom,  and  revealing  the  melting,  molding  influ- 
ences of  divine  grace  in  his  heart.  He  feared  no  man,  and 
in  the  discharge  of  what  he  conceived  to  be  his  duty  he  was 
ever  ready  to  brave  danger  and  death,  but  at  the  foot  of  the 
cross  he  was  as  meek  and  submissive  as  an  ignorant,  depend- 
ent child.  This  beautiful  spirit  of  Christian  humility  shone 
out  in  radiant  colors  as  the  sun  of  his  life  approached  its 
setting.     When  some  one,  perhaps  to  encourage  him,  in  his 


2G6  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

last  hours  reminded  him  of  the  work  he  had  done  for  the 
Church,  he  replied:  "I  have  never  done  any  tiling;  don't 
mention  these  things  to  me;  I  am  nothing  but  a  poor,  un- 
worthy sinner,  saved  by  grace.  Christis  all;  to  him  be  all 
the  praise."  He  had  raised  the  shout  of  victory  over  many 
a  hard-fought  field,  and  now,  "saved  by  grace,"  he  was  to 
"come  out  more  than  conqueror"  in  the  final  conflict. 
"  The  last  enemy,  even  death,"  was  overcome.  On  the  24th 
of  January,  1847,  at  Camden,  South  Carolina,  in  the  eighty- 
third  year  of  his  life  and  in  the  fifty-fifth  of  his  ministry, 
without  a  struggle,  he  yielded  his  spirit  up  to  God  who  gave 
it,  and  sweetly  "fell  on  sleep."  The  notes  of  victory  lin- 
gered upon  his  lips  even  as  his  spirit  was  passing  up  to  the 
blood- washed  hosts  to  take  up  the  everlasting  shout  of  praise 
before  "  the  throne  of  God  and  of  the  Lamb." 


JAMES  DOUTHIT. 

~TT"7"E  learn  from  Bishop  Asbury's  journal  that  the  fa- 
V  V  ther  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Ma- 
ryland. Removing  from  his  native  State,  he  settled  on  the 
Yadkin  River,  in  North  Carolina,  became  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Church,  was  appointed  class-leader,  and  opened 
his  house  as  a  preaching-place  for  "the  assemblies  of  his 
brethren."  But,  alas!  "an  infamous  woman  found  her  way 
into  the  society,  seduced  Douthit  away,  and  he  departed 
from  his  brethren  and  from  God.  Some  years  after  this, 
the  family  removed  to  the  Table  Mountain,  Pendleton  Dis- 
trict ;  preachers  came  to  the  house,  the  father  was  reclaimed,, 
and  his  two  sons,  James  and  Samuel,  joined  the  Methodists 
and  were  useful  and  respectable  traveling  preachers;  the 
former  laboring  twelve,  the  latter  seven  years  in  the  minis- 
try." The  father  fell  a  second  time  into  sin — led  away  by 
his  weakness  for  strong  drink — but  in  the  evening  of  life 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia,  267 

"became  a  true  penitent,  was  blessed  with  justifying  and 
sanctifying  grace,  and  slept  in  peace  in  the  seventy-third 
year  of  his  age." 

James  Douthit  entered  the  itinerant  ministry  at  the  Con- 
ference held  in  the  city  of  Charleston,  December  24,  1792, 
though  it  seems  he  had  traveled  some  before  this  time.  It 
may  be  interesting  to  note  just  here  the  fact  that  the  Meth- 
odists had  been  so  imposed  upon  by  unworthy  characters 
traveling  through  the  country  and  passing  for  preachers 
that  the  Conferences  this  year  took  steps  to  protect  them- 
selves and  the  preachers  by  issuing  the  following  "  caution" 
which  appears  on  the  printed  minutes : 

"  The  brethren  are  requested  to  be  on  their  guard  against 
impostors  —  one  of  this  character  having  made  his  way 
through  Xorth  and  South  Carolina,  collected  money,  pur- 
chased a  horse  by  falsehood,  and  disappeared.  If  a  preach- 
er is  on  the  traveling  plan,  he  will  be  sent  out  from  the 
District  Conference;  if  he  is  in  the  local  line,  he  can  be 
recommended  from  his  quarterly-meeting.  If  doubts  arise 
relative  to  any  person  who  may  appear  under  the  character 
of  a  Methodist  preacher,  refer  him  to  the  preacher  who  has 
charge  of  the  circuit  for  examination  before  he  is  permitted 
to  preach." 

The  term  "District  Conference"  was  used  in  place  of 
"Annual  Conference,"  as  it  was  the  intention  at  that  time 
to  hold  an  Annual  Conference  in  each  presiding  elder's  dis- 
trict. This,  however,  was  found  to  be  impracticable,  and 
the  term  "District  Conference"  fell  into  disuse  until  it  was 
used  to  designate  certain  local  preachers'  Conferences  known 
in  the  Church  from  1820  to  1836. 

In  the  year  1792,  the  Conferences  received  forty-three' 
young  men  into  the  itinerant  ranks,  and  Douthit's  name 
appears  on  the  roll  of  the  general  minutes  with  such  names 
as  Anthony  Sale,  Francis  A  cuff,  and  Hezekiah  C.  Wooster. 


268  TJie  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

He  was  appointed  this  year  to  Saleuda  Circuit,  with  young 
George  Clark  as  co-pastor,  and  Reuben  Ellis  as  presiding 

elder.  It  was  the  custom  then  to  send  two  preachers  to  each 
of  the  large  circuits.  They  could  not  get  around  the  cir- 
cuits, generally,  in  less  than  six  weeks'  time,  preaching  from 
three  to  ten  times  a  week;  and  they  succeeded  each  other 
at  intervals  of  about  three  weeks  at  each  place.  As  the 
preachers  were  mostly  young  men,  and  unordained,  the  pre- 
siding elder  was  expected  to  reach  every  preaching-place  on 
his  district,  as  nearly  as  possible,  at  least  once  a  year  to  ad- 
minister the  sacraments.  Like  Paul  and  Barnabas,  young 
Douthit  and  Clark  went  to  their  work  with  the  divine  unc- 
tion upon  them.  The  Lord  blessed  their  efforts,  and  crowned 
their  labors  with  success.  The  next  year,  Douthit  traveled 
Burke  Circuit,  in  Georgia,  with  Benjamin  Tarrant  as  co- 
pastor,  and  Philip  Bruce  as  presiding  elder.  Here,  also,  he 
was  permitted  to  raise  the  shout  of  victory  over  many  a 
hard-fought  field.  At  the  close  of  this  year,  he  was  ordained 
a  deacon  by  Bishop  Asbury.  In  1795,  he  was  returned  to 
Saleuda,  and  in  1796  he  traveled  Broad  Eiver  Circuit,  ad- 
joining. At  the  close  of  the  latter  year,  he  was  elevated  to 
elder's  orders.  In  1797,  we  find  him  on  the  Great  Pedee 
Circuit;  and  in  1798,  with  the  saintly  George  Dougherty 
and  Robert  Gaines,  he  traveled  Santee  and  Catawba.  These 
were  all  new  fields  where  Methodism  was  just  opening  the 
way,  and  demanded  indomitable  energy  and  courage  to  meet 
the  oppositions  that  offered,  and  to  Avithstand  the  privations 
of  frontier  life. 

In  1799,  we  find  Douthit  on  the  Salisbury  Circuit,  in 
North  Carolina.  In  1800,  he  traveled  Greensville  Circuit, 
in  Virginia.  The  latter  was  one  of  the  old  fields  of  Meth- 
odism, and  had  been  blessed  with  the  labors  of  the  first 
preachers  who  came  to  Virginia. 

In  1801-2,  he  traveled  Salisbury  District  as   presiding 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  2G9 

elder.  These  were  memorable  years  in  the  history  of  South- 
ern Methodism.  A  revival-wave  seemed  to  sweep  over  the 
land,  and  thousands  were  added  to  the  Church.  The  Salis- 
bury District  at  this  time  embraced  Caswell,  Guilford,  Yad- 
kin, Morganton,  Swannanoa,  Salisbury,  Haw  River,  and 
Franklin  circuits.  Rather  an  appalling  extent  of  territory 
surely  for  one  man  to  travel,  but  he  did  it,  and  the  follow- 
ing letter  to  Asbury  will  give  us  some  idea  of  the  progress 
of  the  work : 

"July  13,  1802. 
"At  the  quarterly-meeting  in  Swannanoa,  May  1st  and  2d, 
Mr.  Newton,  a  Presbyterian,  attended,  and  assisted  me  in 
the  administration  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  It  was  a  solemn 
time ;  thought  by  some  to  be  the  greatest  meeting  ever  held 
in  Buncombe  county.  At  the  quarterly-meeting  in  Mor- 
ganton, the  8th  and  9th  of  May,  we  had  a  very  large  con- 
gregation, a  solemn  time,  and  some  very  powerful  convic- 
tions. At  the  Yadkin  quarterly-meeting,  the  loth  and  16th 
of  May,  we  had  also  a  gracious  season.  At  the  quarterly - 
meeting  in  Guilford,  which  began  on  Friday  21st  and  con- 
tinued until  Monday  the  24th  of  May,  Ave  had  the  greatest 
time  and  the  most  powerful  work  that  I  ever  saw.  The 
work  broke  out  on  Saturday,  about  four  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon, and  there  was  no  intermission  till  after  two  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon  on  Monday.  I  think  there  were  (at  times) 
during  this  meeting,  upward  of  one  hundred  souls  down  at 
one  time  crying  for  mercy ;  between  forty  and  fifty  professed 
to  be  converted.  At  the  quarterly-meeting  in  Caswell,  at 
Edward  Taylor,  jr.'s,  Brother  Jackson  met  me.  On  Sab- 
bath-day, under  preaching,  the  work  broke  out;  perhaps 
five  professed  faith,  while  several  others  were  struck  to  the 
earth  and  cried  aloud  for  mercy.  At  the  quarterly-meeting 
in  Haw  River  Circuit,  held  at  the  Hickory  Mountain  meet- 
ing-house, which  began  on  Friday  the  11th  of  June,  and 


L'To  Thr  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

continued  until  Monday  the  14th,  we  had  the  greatest  time 
that  had  ever  been  seen  there.  The  power  of  the  Lord 
came  down  on  Saturday,  like  a  mighty  rushing  wind,  and 
appeared  to  rest  on  the  congregation  during  the  meeting. 
The  number  of  the  converted  could  not  be  ascertained.  The 
work  of  the  Lord  at  this  time  is  reviving  in  a  most  pleasing 
manner  in  all  the  circuits  in  the  district,  except  Franklin. 
I  pray  God  to  send  it  there  and  everywhere  till  the  earth 
is  filled  with  the  knowledge  and  glory  of  God.  The  preach- 
ers in  the  district  are  all  able  to  travel  and  preach,  although 
some  of  them  complain,  and  are  greatly  weakened  by  ex- 
cessive labors. 

"I  am  your  son  and  servant  in  the  gospel  of  Christ, 

"James  Douthit." 

We  hear  the  shout  of  victory  in  the  following,  which  he 
wrote  four  months  later : 

"November  13,  1802. 

"I  am  now  at  the  quarterly-meeting  in  the  Yadkin. 
Brother  McKendree  is  with  us.  The  Lord  has  been  pow- 
erfully present  this  day,  and  we  are  looking'  for  greater 
times  to-morrow  and  the  next  day.  The  Lord  is  doing  won- 
ders throughout  the  district;  the  holy  flame  has  caught  and 
is  going  on  very  considerably  in  all  the  circuits.  I  suppose 
at  the  several  quarterly-meetings,  the  second  time  I  went 
round  the  district,  not  less  than  five  hundred  souls  professed 
to  find  the  Lord.  Hail,  Jesus!  thou  art  our  King,  and  we 
will  praise  thee.  James  Douthit." 

From  these  letters  we  must  form  our  estimate  of  the  char- 
acter of  the  preacher,  unless  there  be  some  who  will  favor 
us  with  information  that  has  not  yet  been  permanently  re- 
corded. Although  an  earnest  worker,  filling  high  positions 
in  the  Church,  traveling  twelve  years,  and  exploring  new 
fields,   Douthit's  name  has  as  yet  no  place  in  the  written 


///  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  271 

history  of  his  Church.  His  brother  Samuel  went  West,  and- 
his  name  is  accorded  honorable  mention  in  Bedford's  "  His- 
tory of  Methodism  in  Kentucky."  James  located  in  1803, 
and  we  hear  no  more  of  him  until  ten  years  after,  when 
Bishop  Asbury  stops  at  his  house  "on  the  quiet  banks  of 
the  Saleuda"  to  write  his  "valedictory  address  to  the  presid- 
ing elders,"  and  mentions  it  in  his  journal. 

We  have  been  unable  to  ascertain  the  exact  time  and 
place  of  his  birth  or  of  his  death.  Asbury  spells  his  name 
Douthat ;  in  the  early  minutes  it  uniformly  appears  Douthet ; 
but  we  have  been  guided  by  his  own  signature  as  it  occurs, 
each  time,  in  an  old  volume  of  printed  letters. 


GEORGE  DOUGHERTY. 

TO  the  right  and  left  of  the  main  entrance  to  Front 
Street  Church,  in  Wilmington,  N.  C,  two  of  the 
pioneers  of  Methodism  in  the  South  sleep  their  last  sleep, 
awaiting  the  sound  of  the  trump  that  shall  call  them  to 
the  resurrection  of  the  just.  Until  the  close  of  the  late  war 
between  the  States,  a  marble  slab  marked  the  resting-place 
of  each — one  perpetuating  the  memory  of  William  Meri- 
deth  and  the  other  of  George  Dougherty.  Side  by  side 
they  had  been  buried  at  the  old  "African  Chapel"  which 
Merideth  had  founded,  and  which  stood  where  the  Front 
Street  parsonage  now  stands,  corner  Walnut  and  Second 
streets.  Their  remains  were  removed  when  the  new  church 
was  built.  At  the  close  of  the  war  the  negroes  claimed  the 
building,  and,  under  bayonets,  came  near  getting  control  of 
it;  and  an  allusion  to  the  old  "African  Church  "  in  the  ep- 
itaphs on  the  slabs  caused  their  removal  when  the  front  steps 
to  the  church  were  remodeled. 

In  this  city  Merideth  had  labored  and  founded  the  first 
Methodist    house  of  worship.      To   it   Dougherty,  broken 


Zi  -  The  Pumeers  of  Methodism 

down  in  health  and  dying  of  consumption,  had  come  to 
take  shipping  for  a  milder  climate;  and  here,  in  graves 
now  unmarked  save  by  the  bricks  which  inclose  them, 
their  mortal  remains  await  the  day  when  Christ  shall  come 
to  make  up  his  jewels,  and  when  the  redeemed  spirits  and 
glorified  bodies  shall  be  wedded  together  in  immortal  union 
and  unfading  bloom.  And  while  Dougherty  spent  the  whole 
of  his  ministerial  life  in  another  State,  the  fact  that  he  here 
ended  his  warfare  and  now  rests  from  his  labors  brings  a  no- 
tice of  his  life  within  the  domain  of  the  intention  of  this  work. 

He  was  born  in  Newberry  District,  South  Carolina,  about 
the  year  1772,  and  was  here  reared  to  manhood's  state.  His 
parents,  though  not  wealthy,  were  in  comfortable  circum- 
stances, and  managed  to  give  him  early  educational  advan- 
tages, which  he  well  employed,  and  which  were  far  superior 
to  those  enjoyed  by  the  majority  of  youths  of  his  day,  yet  the 
reader  will  hardly  need  to  be  reminded  that  they  were  far 
from  being  what  would  now  be  called  liberal.  After  spend- 
ing a  few  years  in  teaching,  he  joined  the  South  Carolina 
Conference  at  its  session  in  Charleston,  January  1,  1798,  and 
his  fields  of  labor  were  as  follows:  1798,  Santee;  1799,  Oco- 
nee; 1800-1,  Charleston;  1802-1804,  presiding  elder  of 
Saleuda  District;  180-5-1806,  Camden  District.  Here  his 
health  failed,  and  he  found  it  necessary  to  take  a  super- 
annuated relation,  which  he  did  not  long  maintain  before 
he  exchanged  labor  for  rest. 

Perhaps  no  man  among  the  early  preachers  of  Methodism 
made  for  himself  a  more  enviable  reputation  in  the  short 
space  of  nine  years.  He  was  an  indefatigable  student,  un- 
tiring in  his  efforts  to  acquire  knowledge  that  would  be  use- 
ful to  him  in  his  wTork  as  a  preacher.  As  a  Greek  and  He- 
brew scholar,  he  stood  preeminent  among  his  brethren;  and 
as  an  earnest,  forcible,  eloquent  minister  of  the  gospel  of 
Christ,  he  was  equaled  by  few  in  any  Church  in  his  day. 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  273 

In  personal  appearance  he  was  quite  unprepossessing.  He 
had  lost  an  eye,  and  was  otherwise  sadly  disfigured  by  small- 
pox ;  his  tall,  frail  figure  was  ungainly  in  the  extreme,  and 
yet,  by  the  force  of  an  intellect  which  no  cloud  shadowed, 
thorough  consecration  to  the  work  of  the  ministry,  and  a 
rich  and  deep  religious  experience,  he  won  for  himself  the 
reputation  of  one  of  the  most  eloquent  and  effective  preach- 
ers that  ever  graced  a  South  Carolina  pulpit. 

The  following  instances  of  his  pulpit  success  we  quote  from 
Dr.  Shipp's  "  History  of  Methodism  in  South  Carolina."  The 
first  was  related  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Flinn,  of  Charleston,  one 
of  the  most  eloquent  divines  of  the  Presbyterian  Church : 

"  The  Doctor,  in  the  early  part  of  his  ministry,  was  carry- 
ing forward,  in  a  country  church,  an  interesting  protracted 
meeting,  without  help  and  quite  exhausted.  Mr.  Dougherty 
passed  through  the  neighborhood,  and  hearing  that  Mr.  Flinn 
Was  in  need  of  help,  called  upon  him,  and  tendered  his  serv- 
ices for  a  short  time.  Ministerial  comity  demanded  that  he 
should  accept  the  proffered  aid,  but  he  did  so  regretting  the 
necessity  that  seemed  to  be  laid  upon  him.  When  the  hour 
of  service  came,  the  Doctor  conducted  him  to  the  pulpit,  and 
took  his  seat  in  a  distant  part  of  the  church,  fearing,  and 
rather  expecting,  that  his  Methodist  brother  would  make  a 
grievous  failure.  Mr.  Dougherty  began  the  service  by  read- 
ing a  hymn  in  a  style  of  great  impressiveness.  Then  followed 
a  prayer,  rich  in  evangelical  thought,  and  altogether  perti- 
nent to  the  occasion.  But  the  sermon  was  yet  to  come,  and 
he  was  not  relieved  altogether  of  his  anxiety,  especially  as 
the  text  that  was  announced  required  the  skill  of  a  master 
workman.  The  Doctor  said  that  he  actually  turned  his 
eyes  downward  to  the  floor  that  he  might  not  see  the  ungain- 
ly form  that  rose  up  in  the  pulpit  before  him.  The  preach- 
er, however,  launched  forth  fearlessly  into  his  great  subject, 
'and  in  fifteen  minutes,'  said  the  Doctor,  'I  found  mvself 


274  The  Pioneer*  of  Methodism 

straightened  into  an  erect  posture,  but  absolutely  enchained 
by  a  burst  of  eloquence,  a  mellow  blaze  of  rich  thought,  as 
rare  as  it  was  overwhelming;  and  to  this  day  my  recollec- 
tion of  that  discourse  places  George  Dougherty  in  the  very 
front  rank  of  American  preachers.  He  filled  my  ideal  of 
an  able  minister  of  the  New  Testament.' 

"A  similar  incident  occurred  at  the  General  Conference 
in  Baltimore  in  1804.  It  was  announced  that  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Dougherty  was  to  preach  at  a  certain  church  that  night,  but 
who  was  Mr.  Dougherty?  Nobody  knew  him;  it  was  only 
known  that  he  was  a  delegate  from  South  Carolina.  The 
hour  for  service  came  at  last,  and  with  it  a  very  large  con- 
gregation. The  members  of  the  General  Conference  were 
out  in  great  force.  '  I  was  there  early,'  said  an  old  preacher, 
giving  his  experience  of  that  night's  work, '  and  took  my  seat 
convenient  to  the  pulpit.  The  congregation  was  waiting  for 
the  preacher,  and  all  eyes  were  directed  to  the  door  through 
which  he  was  to  enter.  Now  I  saw  a  fine-looking  man  enter, 
and  advance  toward  the  pulpit.  That's  the  preacher;  but, 
no,  the  stranger  took  his  seat  in  the  congregation ;  and  sev- 
eral times  I  was  thus  disapjDointed.  At  length  I  saw  a  tall, 
gaunt,  one-eyed  man,  in  rather  shabby  dress,  enter,  and  walk 
up  toward  the  pulpit ;  and  to  my  astonishment  the  awkward 
stranger  entered  it,  and  went  through  all  the  motions  prepar- 
atory to  preaching.  Mortification  succeeded  astonishment. 
Is  it  possible  that  this  fine  congregation  is  to  be  bored  and 
mortified  by  this  awkward,  blundering  backwoodsman  ?  At 
length  the  preacher  arose.  The  whole  congregation  seemed 
disappointed,  and  there  was  an  almost  universal  hanging  of 
heads.  The  preacher  proceeded  to  read  his  hymn,  and  there 
was  something  hopeful  in  that  part  of  the  performance.  He 
prayed,  and  I  felt  that  there  was  more  in  the  preacher  than 
I  had  supposed.  He  proceeded  to  his  text  and  the  sermon, 
and  a  few  minutes  sufficed  to  raise  every  head  and  fix  every 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginal.  275 

eve.  Meanwhile  the  preacher  advanced  in  his  discourse,  ris- 
ing higher  and  higher,  till  he  carried  the  congregation  as  it 
were  by  storm.' 

"At  one  of  the  early  camp-meetings,  held  some  distance 
below  where  Anderson  Court-house  now  stands,  the  congre- 
gation was  immense — Baptists,  Presbyterians,  and  Method- 
ists being  encamped  on  the  ground,  and  all  three  of  these 
denominations  being  represented  in  the  pulpit,  Messrs.  Ben- 
nett and  Dougherty  were  appointed  to  occupy  the  stand  on 
Sabbath,  and  to  follow  each  other  without  intermission.  Mr. 
Bennett  opened  with  a  discourse  on  Romans  viii.  29,  30,  and 
from  the  text  advanced  the  peculiar  doctrines  of  Calvinism. 
Mr.  Dougherty  followed  with  a  discourse  on  the  same  text. 
After  a  clear  exegesis  in  correction  of  the  erroneous  inter- 
pretation and  misapplication  of  the  passage,  he  advanced  in 
thunder-peals  the  doctrine  of  a  free  and  full  atonement,  and 
urged  with  prodigious  energy  an  immediate  compliance  with 
the  conditions  of  salvation.  The  power  of  God  came  down, 
and  one  universal  cry  for  mercy  was  heard  all  through  the 
vast  concourse  of  people.  Some  fell  pro3trate  on  the  ground, 
others,  rising  to  fty  from  the  scene,  fell  by  the  way.  Hun- 
dreds were  crying  for  mercy  all  over  the  encampment,  while 
the  rejoicing  of  heaven-born  souls  and  the  shouts  of  victory 
over  the  powers  of  darkness  were  heard  all  through  the  crowd 
and  surrounding  grove.  At  the  close  of  the  sermon,  Mr. 
Dougherty  turned  to  Mr.  Bennett,  and  with  uplifted  hands 
and  streaming  eyes,  begged  him,  in  God's  name,  always  to 
preach  a  free  and  full  salvation  by  grace  through  faith. 
1  The  scene,'  said  George  Clark,  who  was  an  eye-witness, 
1  was  overwhelming,  and  beggared  all  description.' 

"At  a  camp-meeting  held  in  Darlington  District  in  1805, 
the  assembled  rowdies  perpetrated  enormities  over  which  it 
is  necessary,  even  at  this  distant  day,  to  draw  a  veil.  On 
Sunday,  when  fully  reenforced,  and  roving  about  in  a  large 


27G  The  Pioru  >  rs  of  Mi  thodizm 

pine-forest  which  surrounded  the  tent,  it  came  to  pass,  under 
the  preaching  of  the  Rev.  James  Jenkins — famous  through 
all  the  country  for  having  a  stir  and  a  shout — that  a  lady 
in  the  congregation  began  to  praise  God  aloud.  From 
every  point  of  the  compass  they  came  thundering  into  the 
camp  with  the  tramp  of  a  herd  of  buffaloes,  thus  producing 
a  scene  of  the  utmost  tumult  and  confusion.  The  lady  had 
by  this  time  become  quiet,  and  every  thing  seemed  to  indi- 
cate that  the  time  had  come  for  Mr.  Dougherty  to  launch  a 
thunderbolt.  He  accordingly  arose,  and  said :  '  I  desire 
very  much  to  engage  your  attention  for  a  short  time,  and 
as  I  am  aware  of  your  impatience,  I  propose,  as  a  sort  of 
compromise  with  you,  to  waive  all  the  usual  introductory 
services,  and  proceed  directly  to  my  discourse.'  He  then 
announced  for  his  text  Mark  v.  13:  'And  the  herd  ran 
violently  down  a  steep  place  into  the  sea,  and  were  choked.' 
He  commenced  with  some  striking  remarks  upon  the  general 
policy  of  Satan,  showing  that  he  cared  not  what  means  he 
used  for  the  accomplishment  of  an  object  if  they  might  only 
prove  successful.  Thus  when  he  was  dislodged  from  a  man 
he  was  well  satisfied  to  enter  swine,  if  by  so  doing  he  could 
prejudice  men  against  Christ.  In  this  maneuver  he  was  in 
the  instance  here  recorded  very  successful.  '  But,'  said  the 
preacher, '  let  us  consider  the  text  in  the  order  of  the  thoughts 
which  it  suggests.  First,  we  will  notice  the  herd  into  which 
the  devils  enter;  secondly,  the  drivers  employed,  and  third- 
ly, the  market  to  which  they  are  going.'  Never,  perhaps, 
was  an  effort  made  under  similar  circumstances  that  equaled 
this.  It  was  pertinent,  awful,  living,  scathing,  and  unique. 
It  was  the  attack  of  a  master-mind  in  a  last  resort,  and  wa.s 
entirely  successful.  He  swept  along  his  pathway  like  a 
blazing  comet,  drawing  such  life-like  pictures  of  vice  and 
diabolical  intrigue  that  the  miserable  creatures  before  him 
seemed  spell-bound ;  though  they  were  all  standing,  scarcely 


/;/  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  277 

a  man  among  them  broke  ranks.  When  he  reached  his 
imaginary  market  with  them  —  the  end  of  an  abandoned 
life,  of  a  dark  and  soul-destroying  course  of  wickedness — 
the  picture  took  on  such  an  appalling  hue  that  an  invol- 
untary shudder  came  manifestly  over  the  audience;  they 
seemed  actually  to  see  them  in  successive  columns  disap- 
pearing from  mortal  view  and  sinking  into  the  everlasting 
abyss.  The  most  stout-hearted  sinners  present  seemed  over- 
whelmed with  amazement,  and  when  the  preacher  closed, 
they  left  in  wild  confusion,  and  were  soon  en  route  for 
home." 

In  his  efforts  to  serve  the  blacks,  he  fell  a  victim  to  the 
persecution  which  the-  insane  zeal  of  some  of  the  preach- 
ers, and  Dr.  Coke  in  particular,  had  excited.  On  one  oc- 
casion a  traveling  preacher  in  passing  through  Charleston 
made  some  injudicious  remarks  in  denouncing  the  evils  of 
African  slavery.  A  mob  went  to  the  church,  and  mistaking 
Mr.  Dougherty  for  the  offending  minister,  dragged  him  to 
the  town-pump,  and  came  well-nigh  drowning  him  by  pour- 
ing water  upon  him.  He  was  rescued  by  a  brave  Methodist 
woman — Mrs.  Martha  Kugley — who,  rushing  into  the  midst 
of  the  crowd,  gathered  up  the  folds  of  her  gown  with  both 
hands,  and  thrusting  it  into  the  spout  of  the  pump,  stopped 
the  flow  of  water  until  a  courageous  citizen,  with  a  drawn 
sword,  obliged  the  mob  to  release  their  victim.  Dougherty 
never  recovered  from  the  treatment  of  that  night,  nor  did 
Mrs.  Kugley.  Dr.  Mood,  in  his  "  History  of  Methodism 
in  Charleston,"  says  of  her:  "The  wetting  she  received  at 
the  pump  from  the  heartless  ruffians  was  the  cause  of  her 
premature  death.  Like  Dougherty,  she  was  of  a  consump- 
tive habit,  and  the  cold  she  acquired  that  wintry  night  never 
left  her,  and  she  and  Dougherty  died  about  the  same  time." 
Dr.  Bangs  says:  "Of  all  those  concerned  in  this  persecution, 
not  one  prospered.     Mosl  of  them  died  miserable  deaths,  and 


278  The  Pioneers  of  Method  ion 

one  of  them  acknowledged  that  God's  curse  lighted  upon 
him  for  his  conduct  in  this  affair." 

The  following  letter  from  Dougherty  to  Bishop  Asbury 
reveals  his  earnest  spirit,  and  gives  us  an  intimation  of  the 
peculiar  embarrassments  under  which  he  labored : 

"  Charleston,  May  25,  1801. 
•  My  black  school  has  increased  to  upward  of  forty,  sev- 
eral of  whom  have  discovered  an  excellent  capacity  in  learn- 
ing. But  you  will  readily  believe  that  this  has  no  tendency 
to  remove  the  reproach  of  the  cross.  The  epithet  of  negro 
school-master,  added  to  that  of  Methodist  preacher,  makes  a 
black  compound  sure  enough;  yet,  wonderful  to  think,  the 
congregations  are  as  large  and  serious  as  they  were  at  any 
time  since  I  came  to  Charleston.  The  number  of  blacks 
that  attend  on  the  Sabbath  is  truly  pleasing;  yet,  alas!  I 
cannot  say  that  there  is  any  revival.  But  I  humbly  hope 
the  storms  in  Charleston  have  taught  me  some  useful  lessons. 
Outward  persecution  seems  to  abate,  and  I  am  again  cheered 
with  the  sight  of  some  black  faces  in  the  galleries  at  night. 

"George  Dougherty." 

It  is  difficult  for  us  in  this  day  to  appreciate  the  peculiar 
trials  under  which  our  fathers  labored  in  founding  Method- 
ism in  these  fields.  But  if  we  can  bring  before  us  the  per- 
secutions they  suffered,  if  we  can  think  of  them  as  preach- 
ing in  the  very  face  of  danger,  and  offering  the  word  of 
life  to  the  mob  threatening  to  take  their  lives,  if  we  can 
picture  to  our  minds  the  overwhelming  reaction  in  this  very 
mob  as  the  word  spoken  "  in  demonstration  of  the  Spirit  and 
with  power  "  sinks  into  their  hearts,  and  they  begin  to  cry 
unto  God  for  pardoning  mercy,  there  will  appear  to  us  a 
strange,  quiet  beauty  in  the  spirit  of  the  man  returning  from 
such  scenes,  and,  without  a  particle  of  self-glorification,  writ- 
ing to  Bishop  Asbury  the  following  letter: 


Iii  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  279 

"  South  Carolina  District,  October  20,  1802. 
"As  to  the  state  of  the  district,  it  is  tolerably  pleasing. 
Edisto  Circuit  has  had  a  revival  which  has  added  very 
considerable  members  to  the  societies.  Broad  River  Circuit 
has  likewise  been  much  blessed.  Saleuda  Circuit  and  Charles- 
ton have  advanced,  but  not  equally  with  the  others. 
"  Believe  me  as  ever  you  affectionate  son  in  the  gospel, 

"George  Dougherty." 

There  is  no  self-assumption  here ;  no  men  are  eulogized ; 
to  no  sermons  is  the  work  attributed.  But  the  letter  re- 
veals the  fact  that  the  writer  recognized  himself  and  his  co- 
laborers  to  be  but  mere  agents  in  the  matter,  and  that  the 
work  was  God's  alone. 

At  the  Conference  held  in  Sparta,  Ga.,  in  1807,  he  asked 
for  and  obtained  a  superannuated  relation.  His  health  con- 
tinuing to  fail,  it  was  thought  by  his  friends  that  a  voyage 
to  the  West  Indies  might  restore  him.  Accordingly  he  set 
out  for  Wilmington,  from  which  point  the  vessel  was  to  sail 
on  which  the  kind  Captain  Bingley  had  offered  him  a  free 
passage.  Arriving  here,  he  found  that  the  vessel  was  to  be 
detained  for  several  days,  and  he  stopped  with  a  kind  fam- 
ily who  did  all  in  their  power  to  relieve  and  make  him  com- 
fortable. It  was  soon  evident  that  he  was  too  feeble  to  un- 
dertake the  voyage,  and,  indeed,  that  his  hours  upon  earth 
were  numbered.  He  was  perfectly  aware  of  his  condition, 
and  spoke  with  the  composure  of  a  child  of  God  of  his  ap- 
proaching dissolution.  The  marvelous  love  and  the  free, 
unbounded  grace  of  which  he  had  so  often  spoken  to  others 
now  comforted  his  heart  and  lighted  up  the  valley  before 
him.  "  The  goodness  and  love  of  God  to  me,"  said  he,  "  are 
great  and  marvelous  as  I  go  down  the  dreadful  declivity  of 
death."  On  the  23d  of  March,  1807,  he  "  fell  on  sleep,"  and 
entered  into  rest. 


280  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

At  the  last  Annual  Conference  that  he  attended  he  brought 
forward  the  following  resolution,  which  was  adopted:  "If 
any  preacher  shall  desert  his  station  through  fear,  in  time 
of  sickness  or  danger,  the  Conference  shall  never  employ 
that  man  again."  Kinging  down  through  the  years,  these 
words  echo  to  us  the  spirit  not  only  of  the  man  who  wrote 
them  and  advocated  their  adoption,  but  of  all  the  early  act- 
ors in  the  great  movement  that  has  left  its  everlasting  im- 
pression for  good  upon  our  world. 


RICHMOND  NOLLEY. 

Away  from  his  horne  and  the  friends  of  his  youth 
He  hasted,  the  herald  of  mercy  and  truth, 
For  the  love  of  his  Lord,  and  to  seek  for  the  lost; 
Soon,  alas !  was  his  fall — but  he  died  at  his  post. 

The  stranger's  eye  wept,  that  in  life's  brightest  bloom 
One  gifted  so  highly  should  sink  to  the  tomb; 
For  in  ardor  he  led  in  the  van  of  the  host, 
And  he  fell  like  a  soldier — he  died  at  his  post. 

He  wept  not  himself  that  his  warfare  was  done — 
The  battle  was  fought,  and  the  victory  won ; 
But  he  whispered  of  those  whom  his  heart  clung  to  most: 
'Tell  my  brethren  for  me  that  I  died  at  my  post." 

He  asked  not  a  stone  to  be  sculptured  with  verse, 
He  asked  not  that  fame  should  his  merits  rehearse; 
But  he  asked  as  a  boon,  when  he  gave  up  the  ghost, 
That  his  brethren  might  know  that  he  died  at  his  post. 

Victorious  his  fall — for  he  rose  as  he  fell, 

With  Jesus,  his  Master,  in  glory  to  dwell; 

He  has  passed  o'er  the  stream  and  has  reached  the  bright  coast, 

For  he  fell  like  a  martyr — he  died  at  his  post. 

And  can  we  the  words  of  his  exit  forget? 

O  no !  tliey  are  fresh  in  our  memory  yet : 

An  example  so  brilliant  shall  never  be  lost ; 

"We  will  fall  in  the  work — we  will  die  at  our  post. 

— Hunter,  Songs  of  Zion. 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  281 

NO  name  in  the  whole  range  of  Methodist  biography  is 
invested  with  a  more  tender  interest  than  that  of  the 
young  hero-martyr  Richmond  Nolley.  The  world's  grand- 
est heroes,  the  world's  greatest  benefactors,  are  not  always 
those  who  fall  on  the  battle-fields  of  civil  liberty,  or  who  lead 
their  country's  hosts  to  victory.  Courage  is  not  always  more 
displayed  in  the  heroic  daring  of  the  leader  who  attacks  and 
defeats  advancing  error  or  tyranny  than  in  the  calm  intre- 
pidity of  him  who  seals  his  principles  with  his  life-blood,  and, 
through  all  time,  throws  over  his  memory  the  halo  of  a  mar- 
tyr's death.  It  was  by  pouring  his  life  out  upon  the  cross 
that  the  incarnate  Son  of  God  established  forever  the  divin- 
ity of  his  mission  and  the  truth  of  the  principles  he  had  ad- 
vanced, and  accomplished  the  work  of  man's  redemption. 
Through  all  the  ages  of  her  history,  the  ashes  of  the  martyrs 
have  been  the  seed  of  the  Church.  No  man  ever  yet  died 
in  vain  who  died  for  humanity.  No  life  was  ever  yet  spent 
in  vain  that  was  breathed  out  in  benediction  upon  mankind, 
or  offered  in  sacrifice  upon  the  altar  of  holiness  and  truth. 
God's  way  is  not  man's  way.  Christ  accomplished  the  world's 
redemption  by  dying  upon  the  cross.  He  subdued  mankind 
by  offering  up  his  life  for  them,  giving  them  the  grandest 
evidence  of  love  that  this  world  has  ever  seen.  And  since 
that  time  the  Church  has  won  her  grandest  victories  by  the 
silent  suffering,  the  patient  endurance,  and  the  unshaken  for- 
titude of  her  defenders  in  the  death-hour.  Luther  defeating 
Rome  with  his  logic  was  no  more  a  hero,  possibly  not  more 
a  benefactor,  than  the  less  gifted  believer  who,  unable  to 
preach  like  Luther,  was  yet  permitted  to  ascend  the  scaffold 
and  die  for  the  principles  that  Luther  advocated.  The  value 
to  the  world  of  a  human  life  offered  in  sacrifice  upon  the 
altar  of  humanity  is  beyond  all  estimate.  From  every  such 
life  there  springs  a  tide  of  influence  that  will  flow  on  forever. 
From  every  such  memory  the  ages  will  derive  an  inspiration. 


282  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

Over  every  such  grave  there  will  hover  a  halo  of  light  and 
glory  that  will  shine  through  the  ages  as  a  candle  of  truth 
in  the  night  of  error. 

Richmond  Nolley  was  born  in  Virginia,  but  we  believe 
the  exaet  place  and  date  of  his  birth  are  not  now  known. 
While  he  was  quite  young,  his  father  removed  to  the  State 
of  Georgia.  Here,  his  parents  dying,  young  Nolley  was  left 
an  orphan,  dependent  upon  his  own  exertions  for  a  support. 
A  prominent  Methodist  of  Sparta,  Captain  Lucas,  gave  him 
employment  as  a  clerk  in  his  store.  In  1806  a  camp-meet- 
ing was  held  near  this  place  which  was  crowned  with  results 
long  to  be  remembered.  An  immense  throng  of  people  at- 
tended. Lovick  Pierce,  who  had  entered  upon  his  long  and 
useful  ministry,  was  present,  and  was,  on  this  occasion,  to  be 
especially  honored  of  the  Master.  Standing  upon  a  table, 
he  proclaimed  the  word  of  God  in  demonstration  of  the 
Spirit  and  with  power.  Among  the  first  to  fall,  smitten  by 
conviction,  was  a  daughter  of  Captain  Lucas.  The  vast 
multitude  was  moved  by  the  word,  and  gathered  around  the 
preacher.  They  fell  upon  their  knees,  and  the  groans  and 
prayers  of  the  penitents  were  soon  mingling  with  the  shouts 
of  those  delivered  from  bondage.  It  is  said  that  more  than 
a  hundred  souls  were  converted  around  that  table,  during 
that  memorable  day  and  the  night  that  succeeded.  Among 
the  converts  was  Richmond  Nolley  * 

He  was  of  a  "slender  and  delicate  frame  and  feeble  con- 
stitution," and  his  previous  life  had  ill  prepared  him  for  the 
hardships  of  the  itinerant  life;  but  he  soon  felt  that  the  hand 
of  God  was  upon  him,  and  that  the  divine  voice  was  calling 
him  to  the  field.  In  the  hour  of  conversion  he  had  made  no 
reservation  in  surrendering  himself  to  Christ,  and  now  he 
was  ready  to  take  up  any  cross  that  He  might  impose,  and 
follow  any  line  that  He  might  direct.  He  remained  with 
his  old  friend  and  employer,  "preparing  himself  for  the  min- 


In.  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  283 

istry  by  exhorting  in  the  neighborhood"  until  the  South 
Carolina  Conference  held  its  annual  session  in  the  city  of 
Charleston,  December  28,  1807.  Here  he  was  admitted  on 
trial  and  appointed  to  Edisto  Circuit. 

On  this  field  it  was  his  custom,  after  preaching  in  the  day, 
to  visit  the  huts  of  the  slaves  at  night,  and  instruct  them  by 
the  light  of  their  pine-torches.  Still  he  followed  to  the  let- 
ter the  advice  of  the  Father  of  Methodism.  He  rose  with 
the  lark.  He  was  never  idle  or  unemployed.  He  was  as 
methodical  as  it  was  possible  for  him  to  be  under  the  cir- 
cumstances attending  his  ministry.  He  punctually  observed 
the  days  which  the  Church  had  set  apart  for  fasting  and 
prayer,  and  his  feeble  constitution  grew  gradually  weaker 
under  the  austere  mode  of  life  to  which  it  was  subjected. 
After  preaching  a  year  on  Edisto  Circuit,  during  which  time 
one  hundred  and  sixty  white  members  were  added  to  the 
Church  there,  and  great  good  was  accomplished  among  the 
slaves,  he  was  appointed  the  ensuing  year  to  Wilmington 
Station,  North  Carolina.  Under  his  faithful  pastorate  here 
the  membership  was  increased  from  thirty-six  white  and  two 
hundred  and  seventy-nine  colored  members  to  fifty-three 
white  and  six  hundred  and  seventeen  colored  members — a 
net  increase  of  three  hundred  and  fifty-five  in  one  year. 

In  1810  he  was  appointed  to  Charleston,  South  Carolina. 
Here  he  was  to  encounter  no  little  opposition.  "  Fire-crack- 
ers were  often  thrown  upon  him  in  the  pulpit,  and  while  he 
was  on  his  knees  praying;  but  he  would  shut  his  eyes  that 
he  might  not  be  distracted  by  menaces,  and  preach  and  pray 
on  with  overwhelming  power — a  habit  which,  it  is  said,  lasted 
through  the  remainder  of  his  life.  His  voice  was  as  a  trumpet, 
and  no  man  of  the  South  proclaimed  the  gospel  with  greater 
energy  than  he."  (Stevens.)  In  1811  we  find  him  travel- 
ing the  Washington  Circuit  in  the  State  of  Georgia. 

At  the  ensuing  Conference  a  call  was  made  for  missiona- 


284  Tlie  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

ries  to  the  far  South-west  Richmond  Nolley,  Lewis  Hobbs, 
Drury  Powell,  and  Thomas  Griffin  responded  and  were  ac- 
cepted. "Hobbs,"  says  Bishop  McTyeire,  "was  a  lovely 
spirit.  He  was  called  the  '  weeping  prophet.'  He  shed  tears 
over  sinners  while  he  warned  them.  A  year  or  two  afterward 
he  was  stationed  in  Xew  Orleans,  where  his  last  strength  was 
spent.  Their  appointments  scattered  them  widely.  Griffin's 
was  on  the  Ouachita.  Few  have  been  so  honored  in  planting 
Methodism  in  the  South-west.  He  lived  to  a  good  old  age,  and 
his  memory  is  blessed  by  thousands.  While  Nolley  persuaded 
sinners  and  Hobbs  wept  over  them,  Griffin  made  them  quail. 
There  was  a  clear,  metallic  ring  in  his  nature.  By  the  camp- 
fire,  on  the  forest-path,  he  studied.  One  of  the  saddle-bags 
men — to  whom  Western  civilization  is  more  indebted  than 
to  any  other  class  of  agents — he  mastered  the  hardy  elements 
of  frontier  life;  he  was  sagacious  in  judgment,  decisive  in 
action,  strong  in  speech,  and  generous-hearted."  The  min- 
utes of  1815  say  of  Hobbs:  "Truly  it  may  be  said  that  he 
counted  not  his  life  dear  to  him  so  he  might  be  instrumental 
in  advancing  the  Redeemer's  kingdom ;  for,  although  he  was 
of  slender  habit,  he  cheerfully  submitted  to  the  inconven- 
iences of  a  missionary  station,  and  the  almost  incredible  dif- 
ficulties he  had  to  surmount  in  New  Orleans,  where  he  be- 
came deeply  consumptive.  In  a  lingering  and  dying  condi- 
tion he  traveled  nearly  one  thousand  miles  (great  part  of 
which  lay  through  an  almost  uninhabited  wilderness)  to  his 
native  country,  where  he  departed  this  life  on  the  4th  of 
September,  1814,  in  full  assurance  of  endless  life.  He  was 
for  some  time  a  witness  of  that  love  which  casteth  out  all 
slavish  fear.  'I  am  going,  but  not  a  missionary — I  am 
going  to  Jesus ! '  he  exclaimed  on  his  death-bed.  '  When  I 
entered  the  connection  I  gave  myself  to  the  Lord  and  the 
connection.  I  now  feel  no  sorrow  for  having  filled  the  sta- 
tions to  which  I  was  appointed,  but  a  peculiar  consolation 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  283 

that  I  have  preached  the  gospel  to  a  people  who  till  then 
had  been  strangers  to  it.' " 

Such  were  the  men  chosen  for  the  bravest  work  of  the 
itinerancy — chosen  because  of  the  heroic  spirit  they  had 
developed  on  former  fields.  Nolley's  appointment  was 
Tombigbee  Mission.  "After  passing  through  a  wilderness 
of  three  hundred  and  fifty  miles,"  says  Mr.  Finley,  "em- 
bracing many  savage  nations,  during  which  he  was  subjected 
to  all  kinds  of  hardships,  such  as  swimming  deep  rivers  and 
creeks,  often  destitute  of  food,  sometimes  lost  in  the  depths 
of  the  forest,  exposed  to  wild  beasts  or  savage  men,  and  lying 
out  with  nothing  but  the  earth  for  his  bed  and  the  dark  vault 
above  for  his  covering,  he  at  last  arrived  at  the  place  of  his 
destination.  Here,  on  this  distant  and  toilsome  field,  he 
spent  two  years  in  laboring  most  indefatigably  for  the  glory 
of  God  and  the  advancement  of  the  Eedeemer's  kingdom. 
Thousands  would  have  lived  and  died  in  this  frontier  region, 
without  having  heard  of  salvation  had  it  not  been  for  the 
itinerant  system  of  a  Church  which  had  the  men  of  nerve 
to  carry  it  out.  And  while  the  'successors  of  the  apostles' 
were  sitting  in  their  gas-lighted  saloons,  reclining  on  their 
rich  velvet-cushioned  Elizabethans,  discoursing  pathetically 
about  the  moral  wastes  of  the  West,  and  the  inefficient  min- 
istry, Nolley  and  his  coadjutors  were  carrying  the  bread  of 
life  to  starving,  dying  thousands,  and  peopling  heaven  with 
little  less  than  the  redeemed  of  heathen  lands.  .  .  .  On 
this  mission,  where  appointments  were  as  far  apart  as  Con- 
ferences now  are  long,  or  as  would  embrace  an  entire  circuit, 
he  never  lost  an  appointment.  He  never  stopped  for  wet  or 
cold.  The  invisible  hand  beckoned  him  onward,  the  inaudi- 
ble voice  urged  him  forward,  and  often  without  a  horse  he 
would  take  his  saddle-bags  on  his  shoulders  and  walk  to  his 
appointments.  In  regard  to  the  hours  of  sleep,  he  carried 
out  to  the  letter  the  rules  of  the  Father  of  Methodism,  and 


286  The  Pioneers  of Methodism, 

at  early  morn,  while  many  were  locked  fast  in  the  embrace 
of  Morpheus,  he  was  up  with  the  lark,  at  his  morning  ori- 
sons. It  is  reported  of  him  that  he  diligently  instructed  the 
children  in  every  place — a  duty  alas  too  often  neglected  by 
many  who  have  declared  before  God  and  the  world  that  they 
would  attend  to  it.  The  poor  slave  was  not  forgotten  in  his 
daily  ministrations.  Every  day  almost  found  him  in  the 
hut  of  the  sable  son  and  daughter  of  Africa,  teaching  them 
the  religion  of  Christ  and  the  way  to  heaven;  and  had  it 
not  been  for  the  labors  of  just  such  faithful  men,  'Uncle 
Tom's  Cabin'  would  have  been  devoid  of  every  element  of 
interest.  But  not  only  did  he  instruct  the  children,  and 
labor  and  pray  with  the  slave,  but  at  every  house,  among 
parents  and  masters,  with  the  young  and  the  old,  the  sick 
and  the  poor,  the  bond  and  the  free,  he  endeavored  to  make 
full  proof  of  his  ministry  by  '  warning  every  man  and  teach- 
ing every  man  in  all  wisdom,  that  he  might  present  every  man 
perfect  in  Christ  Jesus.' 

"  In  the  great  work  he  often  met  with  opposition ;  he  was 
threatened  and  execrated ;  but  for  revilings  and  persecutions 
he  returned  blessings,  and  his  tears  and  prayers  often  dis- 
armed persecution,  and  sent  trembling  to  the  stoutest  heart. 
He  was  on  the  Tombigbee  Mission  when  the  Indian  war 
raged  with  the  most  relentless  fury,  and  the  unprotected 
whites  fell  in  every  direction  beneath  the  murderous  toma- 
hawk and  scalping-knife  of  the  savage.  When  the  people 
had  all  taken  refuge  in  forts,  and  were  afraid  to  visit  their 
plantations,  the  intrepid  missionary,  as  if  conscious  of  im- 
mortality till  his  work  was  done,  unarmed  and  unattended, 
went  from  fort  to  fort,  and  preached  the  gospel  as  a  visiting 
angel  of  mercy.  By  these,  and  other  acts  of  Christian  kind- 
ness, he  enthroned  himself  in  the  hearts  of  all  the  people, 
and  his  name  will  be  a  household  word  in  time,  his  deeds 
will  live  forever." 


Iii  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  287 

For  the  following  incident  we  are  indebted  to  Bishop 
McTyeire :  "  In  making  the  rounds  of  his  work,  Nolley  came 
to  a  fresh  wagon-track.  On  the  search  for  any  thing  that 
had  a  soul,  he  followed  it,  and  came  upon  the  emigrant  fam- 
ily just  as  it  had  pitched  on  the  ground  of  its  future  home. 
The  man  was  unlimbering  his  team,  and  the  wife  was  busy 
around  the  fire.  'What!'  exclaimed  the  settler  upon  hear- 
ing the  salutation  of  the  visitor,  and  taking  a  glance  at  his 
unmistakable  appearance,  'have  you  found  me  already? 
Another  Methodist  preacher!  I  left  Virginia  to  get  out  of 
reach  of  them,  went  to  a  new  settlement  in  Georgia,  and 
thought  to  have  a  long  whet,  but  they  got  my  wife  and 
daughter  into  the  Church ;  then  in  this  late  purchase  (Choc- 
taw Corner)  I  found  a  piece  of  good  land,  and  was  sure  I 
would  have  some  peace  of  the  preachers,  and  here  is  one 
before  my  wagon  is  unloaded.'  Nolley  gave  him  small 
comfort.  '  My  friend,  if  you  go  to  heaven,  you  '11  find  Meth- 
odist preachers  there ;  and  if  to  hell,  I  am  afraid  you  will 
find  some  there ;  and  you  see  how  it  is  in  this  world ;  so  you 
had  better  make  terms  with  us,  and  be  at  peace.'  " 

His  quenchless  zeal  and  ceaseless  toil  preyed  heavily  upon 
his  constitution,  and  it  was  soon  evident  that  he  must  quit 
the  field  or  go  prematurely  to  his  grave;  but  he  had  no 
thought  of  desisting.  "  Reduced  almost  to  a  shadow,  with 
pale,  attenuated  features,  he  was  found  among  his  brethren 
at  the  Conference,  after  the  year's  toil  had  ended.  His 
dauntless  spirit  would  not  allow  him  to  desist  from  labor 
and  seek  that  rest  which  was  essential  to  his  restoration. 
Determined,  as  it  seemed,  to  run  on  and  burn  out,  like  the 
arrow  of  Acestes,  which  took  fire  in  its  flight  and  vanished 
in  the  immensity  of  heaven,  so  he,  a  flaming  herald  of  the 
cross,  on  fire  of  a  quenchless  zeal,  pressed  on  to  the  mark 
of  the  heavenly  prize."  From  this  Conference,  he  was  ap- 
pointed to  Attakapas  Circuit,  in  the  State  of  Louisiana. 


288  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

The  story  of  his  life  on  this  field  was  to  be  the  story  of  toil, 
hardships,  persecution,  fortitude,  and  death.  AVc  find  him 
on  one  occasion  driven,  by  a  sugar-planter,  away  from  the 
smoke-stack,  where  he  had  gone  to  warm  himself;  and,  on 
another,  rescued  by  "  a  negro  woman,  armed  with  a  hoe," 
from  a  mob  who  were  taking  him  from  the  preaching-stand 
to  a  bayou  to  duck  him.  Gradually  sinking  into  his  grave, 
it  was  yet  thought  necessary  at  the  next  Conference  to  re- 
turn him  to  the  circuit  another  year.  He  was  accompa- 
nied, on  his  return,  by  his  former  companion  Griffin.  To- 
gether, they  crossed  the  Mississippi  and  a  vast  swamp. 

"The  difficulties  they  had  to  encounter,"  says  Mr.  Finley, 
"  were  almost  incredible,  and,  coming  to  a  place  where  they 
must  separate,  after  embracing  each  other,  with  mental 
benedictions,  they  parted.  It  was  in  the  latter  part  of  No- 
vember, and  it  was  a  dark,  cold,  rainy  day.  Arriving  at 
night  at  the  house  of  a  friendly  man,  where  he  staid  till 
morning,  imparting  the  comforts  of  religion  to  its  inmates, 
he  departed  on  his  journey.  Across  his  path  there  lay  a 
large  swamp  and  deep  creeks,  and  not  a  single  white  man 
was  to  be  found  between  that  and  the  place  of  his  destina- 
tion. Alone  he  travels  on  till  evening,  when  he  found 
himself  at  an  Indian  village.  Having  to  cross  a  creek  be- 
fore night,  and  apprehending  from  the  rains  that  it  would 
be  swollen,  he  employed  an  Indian  to  go  with  him.  When 
he  arrived  on  its  banks,  he  found  it,  as  he  anticipated,  a  full 
and  angry  flood,  rushing  tumultuously  along.  There  .was 
no  alternative  but  to  cross  or  remain  with  the  savages;  so 
he  chose  the  former,  and,  leaving  his  valise,  saddle-bags, 
and  a  parcel  of  books  with  the  Indian,  he  urged  his  horse 
into  the  stream.  No  sooner  did  his  noble  charger  strike 
the  furious  current  than  he  was  beaten  down  the  flood.  The 
noble  animal  battled  courageously  with  the  tide,  but  before 
the  other  shore  was  reached,  horse  and  rider  were  for  below7 


Iii  North  Carolina  and   Virginia.  289 

the  landing-place  of  the  ford,  and  the  banks  being  high  and 
precipitous,  it  was  imj^ossible  for  the  horse  to  get  a  foot-hold 
or  make  the  ascent  of  the  other  shore.  In  the  struggle  to 
do  so,  the  rider  was  thrown,  and,  grasping  the  limb  of  a  tree 
which  extended  over  the  stream,  he  reached  the  shore.  The 
horse  swam  back  to  the  side  of  the  stream  from  which  he 
started.  The  missionary  directed  the  Indian  to  keep  his 
horse  till  morning,  and  he  would  walk  to  the  nearest  house, 
which  was  distant  about  two  miles.  He  traveled  through 
the  woods  about  one  mile,  wet,  cold,  and  weary.  Unable 
to  proceed  any  farther,  and  conscious,  perhaps,  that  his 
work  was  done,  and  he  had  at  last  fulfilled  the  errand  of 
his  Master,  he  fell  upon  his  knees  and  commended  his  soul 
to  God." 

He  was  found  the  next  day  calmly  sleeping  beneath  a 
clump  of  pines,  his  limbs  composed,  his  eyes  closed  on  the 
earth  forever.  His  knees  were  muddy,  and  the  indentures 
made  by  them  on  the  ground  marked  the  spot  where  he  had 
knelt  in  prayer.  He  had  died  on  Friday — his  fast-day. 
He  was  probably  weaker  than  usual,  and  the  weather  was 
unusually  cold  for  that  climate.  His  remains  were  borne 
to  the  nearest  house,  and  on  the  following  day — Sunday — 
were  buried  in  Catahoula  Parish,  near  the  road  leading  from 
Alexandria  to  Harrisonburg. 

"In  1856,"  says  Bfshop  McTyeire,  "  three  members  of  the 
Conference  sought  out  the  long-neglected  and  almost  forgot- 
ten spot,  marked  it,  and,  kneeling  down,  consecrated  them- 
selves afresh  to  the  same  ministry  of  faith  and  patience 
and  love.  These  forty  years  the  recollection  of  Nolley  has 
quickened  the  zeal  of  his  brethren.  From  that  mound  of 
earth,  in  the  fenceless  old  field,  a  voice  has  spoken,  '  Be 
faithful.' "  In  the  minds  of  the  people  the  effect  was  pro- 
found. 

He  was  but  thirty  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  death, 
19 


290  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

and  was  never  married.  He  is  described  by  his  contempo- 
raries as  tall,  slender,  wasted  by  exposure  and  fasting;  his 
eyes,  dark  and  radiant,  flashing  with  determination,  and 
glowing  with  saintly  love  and  hope.  His  memory  will  be 
cherished  by  the  Church  as  a  hero  and  a  martyr. 


JAMES  O'KELLY. 

NEAR  the  public  road  leading  from  Chapel  Hill  to 
Raleigh,  and  eight  miles  from  the  former  place,  near 
a  country  church  known  as  "O'Kelly's  Chapel,"  and  be- 
longing to  the  Christian  denomination,  James  O'Kelly  sleeps 
his  last  sleep,  awaiting  the  sound  of  the  trump  that  shall 
call  those  that  have  done  well  to  the  resurrection  of  life, 
and  those  that  have  done  evil  to  the  resurrection  of  dam- 
nation. He  is  dead ;  and  buried,  like  his  own  dust,  are  the 
passions  and  prejudices  and  heart-burnings  which  threatened 
to  rend  American  Methodism  in  his  day.  We  are  not 
writing  a  history  of  the  Church,  but  merely  sketching  the 
characters  of  the  great  and  noble  spirits  through  whose 
instrumentality  her  borders  were  advanced,  and  her  glory 
promoted.  In  that  list  few  names  will  shine  with  more  en- 
during luster  than  that  of  James  O'Kelly ;  for  his  early 
labors  should  never  be  forgotten  in  the  remembrance  of  any 
harm  that  he  may  have  done.  It  is  mean  and  cowardly  to 
take  advantage  of  the  dead.  We  would  do  the  old  Irish- 
man full  justice;  and  in  writing  a  sketch  of  his  life,  we  shall 
endeavor  to  present  his  views,  so  far  as  it  becomes  necessary 
to  introduce  his  views,  as  he  held  them,  giving  his  reasons 
for  the  faith  that  was  in  him.  We  would  not  open  the  con- 
troversies or  rekindle  the  passion  -  fires  of  the  past.  The 
shadows  of  the  years  have  fallen  upon  them.  They  are 
buried  and  extinguished  in  the  grave  of  forgetfulness.  It 
is  not  our  purpose  to  approve  or   condemn  his  course,  in 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  291 

some  things,  but  simply  to  give  a  sketch  of  it.  We  have  to 
do  with  him  mainly  as  a  pioneer  of  Methodism,  and,  as  such, 
his  name  and  memory  deserve  to  be  embalmed  in  her  his- 
tory forever.  Time  gives  a  softening,  mellowing  touch  to 
all  things.  When  the  smoke  of  combat  has  cleared  away, 
and  the  pure  sunlight  of  historic  truth  falls  upon  us,  we  are 
better  prepared  to  judge  of  motives  and  feelings  as  well  as 
of  actions. 

James  O'Kelly  entered  the  itinerant  ranks  in  1777,  and 
remained  in  the  Methodist  Connection  for  the  space  of  fif- 
teen years.  He  was  one  of  the  boldest  spirits  in  a  move- 
ment that  enlisted  none  but  heroes.  From  the  first,  he  im- 
pressed himself  upon  his  brethren  as  a  strong  character, 
combining  a  spirit  of  bold  adventure  with  an  indomitable 
will.  No  man  in  the  Connection  possessed  superior  mental 
powers,  nor  was  he  unconscious  of  his  power.  He  had  been 
in  the  ministry  but  a  few  years  when  he  was  acknowledged 
to  be,  preeminently,  the  leader  of  the  Southern  preachers. 
In  debate  he  was  universally  feared;  and  on  no  occasion 
did  he  hesitate  to  express  his  sentiments.  He  soon  became 
a  favorite  with  the  many  who  love  courage  and  delight  in 
adventure.  He  wielded  an  influence  which  Dr.  Coke  feared, 
a  few  years  later,  would  prove  the  certain  destruction  of  the 
Methodist  Church.  He  was  lacking  in  prudence,  and  was 
prone  to  carry  measures  to  extremes.  He  did  not  know, 
when  in  the  minority,  how  to  submit  to  the  voice  of  a  ma- 
jority; and  he  was  not  always  liberal  or  unprejudiced  in 
his  views  of  the  motives  of  those  who  differed  with  him. 
And  yet,  after  all  of  the  bitterness  of  the  past,  no  fair-mind- 
ed critic  can  stand  over  O'Kelly's  grave  and  charge  him 
with  insincerity.  The  petty  flings  that  calumny  has  made 
at  his  character  fade,  like  the  mists  at  sunrise,  before  the  light 
of  his  great  spirit  as  it  shines  through  all  of  his  errors,  and 
tli rough  all  the  fierce  controversies  of  unhappy  years.     He 


202  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

was  relentless  in  his  opposition ;  by  nature,  slow  to  forgive 
a  wrong;  too  ready,  perhaps,  to  attribute  base  motives  to 
those  who  differed  with  him ;  and  yet  this  man,  who  feared 
no  human  being,  who  asked  quarter  of  no  human  foe,  who 
never  hesitated  to  face  danger  and  death  in  the  path  of  duty, 
was,  at  the  foot  of  the  cross,  as  meek  and  submissive  and 
humble  as  a  little  child.  In  their  later  years,  he  found  in 
Asbury  an  opponent  not  less  determined  and  not  less  con- 
scious of  his  power,  but  more  generous  toward  those  who 
differed  with  him,  and  less  disposed  to  brood  over  a  wrong. 
In  earlier  life,  they  were  as  Jonathan  and  David.  O' Kelly 
was  not  less  noted  for  the  fervor  of  his  piety  than  for  the 
reckless  daring  and  intensity  of  his  zeal.  As  a  preacher, 
he  was  eloquent  and  powerful;  discovering  to  the  sinner 
his  sins,  disrobing  him  of  his  vain  excuses ;  taking  away  the 
hopes,  and  awaking  awe  and  trembling  in  the  false  pro- 
fessor, comforting  the  believer  and  the  "  mourner  in  Zion," 
with  words  of  assurance  from  the  book  of  God ;  thundering 
the  law  of  Sinai,  and  echoing  the  strains  of  Calvary.  At 
the  altar  of  public  intercession  all  hearts  were  melted  under 
the  intense  fervor  and  child-like  simplicity  of  his  petitions. 
In  1778,  he  laid  the  foundations  of  New  Hope  Circuit, 
in  Orange,  Durham,  Chatham,  and  Wake  counties.  Here 
he  was  associated  with  the  unfortunate  Beverly  Allen, 
whose  great  services  for  the  Church  were,  in  later  life,  to  be 
shrouded  with  the  mantle  of  a  great  crime.  Their  labors 
were  greatly  blessed.  ''Numbers,"  says  Mr.  Allen,  "joined 
our  society,  and  many  professed  faith  in  the  Redeemer."  In 
1779,  New  Hope  Circuit  appears  for  the  first  time  on  the 
minutes,  with  James  O'Kelly  and  Philip  Adams  as  pastors. 
During  this  year  O'Kelly  extended  his  labors  down  the  Cape 
Fear,  and  through  the  section  afterward  embraced  in  the 
Bladen  Circuit.  The  war  was  then  raging,  and  he  met  not 
a  few  adventures.     The  following  incident  is  recorded  by 


Li  North  Carolina  and  Virginia,  293 

Dr.  Shipp.  In  his  travels  through  this  section,  O'Kelly,  that 
writer  tells  us,  "became  well  known  to  Col.  John  Slingsby, 
a  commissioned  Tory  officer  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  who 
resided  on  the  lower  Cape  Fear,  and  was  deeply  and  most 
favorably  impressed  by  his  preaching.  A  granddaughter 
of  Colonel  Slingsby  writes :  '  The  anecdote  of  the  Methodist 
preacher  (James  O'Kelly),  which  you  wish  me  to  relate,  I 
had  from  the  old  gentleman's  own  lips.  Mr.  O'Kelly,  then 
a  young  Methodist  preacher,  when  traveling  over  the  coun- 
try and  preaching,  was  taken  at  the  house  of  a  friend  or 
acquaintance  by  a  small  band  of  Tories.  His  horse,  saddle, 
and  saddle-bags  were  taken  from  him,  and  he  was  tied  to  a 
peach-tree.  A  party  of  Whigs  coming  up  just  at  the  time, 
a  skirmish  ensued;  and  although  he  was  between  the  two 
fires,  he  was  not  hurt.  Before  this  skirmish  was  ended, 
Colonel  Slingsby  came  up  with  a  larger  party  of  men,  and 
the  Whigs  were  dispersed.  Recognizing  Mr.  O'Kelly,  the 
Colonel  asked  him  to  preach  for  them,  which  he  did ;  and 
drawing  up  his  men  in  good  order,  he  stood  with  his  head 
uncovered  during  the  whole  of  the  service.  Mr.  O'Kelly 
said,  when  relating  this  anecdote  to  me,  "Ah,  child,  your 
grandfather  was  a  gentleman ! "  An  old  lady,  who  was  well 
acquainted  with  Mr.  O'Kelly,  tells  me  that  the  man  at 
whose  house  he  was  taken  was  also  taken,  bound  to  the  same 
tree,  and  killed  in  the  skirmish.  She  had  heard  him 
(O'Kelly)  relate  the  anecdote  frequently — I  only  once.' " 

In  1780,  O'Kelly  was  appointed  to  Tar  River  Circuit. 
Of  his  labors  here  we  have  an  intimation  in  Asbury's  jour- 
nal. Under  date  of  July  9,  1780,  he  writes:  "Preached  at 
Green  Hill's  to  about  four  hundred  souls,  on  1  Thess.  ii.  4. 
The  subject  was  new,  the  people  dead.  James  O'Kelly  spoke 
on  'Have  ye  understood  all  these  things?'  He  raised  high, 
and  was  very  affecting,  but  to  little  purpose.  There  are 
evils  here;  the  meeting  ^s  not  solemn,  the  women  appeared 


294  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

to  be  full  of  dress,  the  men  full  of  news.  These  people  are 
gospel  slighters.  I  fear  some  heavy  stroke  will  come  on 
them.  James  O'Kelly  and  myself  enjoyed  and  comforted 
each  other.  This  dear  man  rose  at  midnight  and  prayed 
very  devoutly  for  me  and  himself.  He  cries, '  Give  me  chil- 
dren, or  I  die!'  but  I  believe  no  preaching  or  preacher  will 
do  much  good  at  present." 

O'Kelly  subsequently  traveled  Mecklenburg,  Brunswick, 
and  Sussex  circuits.  At  the  Christmas  Conference  of  179^,^2--*- 
he  was  elected  and  ordained  an  elder.  The  district  to  which 
he  was  appointed  embraced  Amelia,  Bedford,  and  Orange 
circuits.  The  next  year  he  presided  over  Guilford,  Halifax, 
and  Mecklenburg  circuits.  In  1787,  his  district  embraced 
Bladen,  New  River,  Tar  River,  Roanoke,  Mecklenburg, 
Brunswick,  Sussex,  and  Amelia;  in  1788,  Anson,  Bertie, 
Camden,  Portsmouth,  Brunswick,  Amelia,  Mecklenburg, 
Buckingham,  Bedford,  Amherst,  Orange,  Hanover,  Will- 
iamsburg. In  1789,  he  was  returned  to  the  same  charge; 
only  that  a  few  changes  had  been  made  in  the  territory  em- 
braced by  the  district — Anson  is  dropped,  and  Halifax  and 
Orange  again  appear  within  its  bounds.  In  1790-1-2,  he 
was  successively  returned  to  this  district,  the  "time-limit" 
not  having  then  been  instituted.  Throughout  this  territory, 
O'Kelly  was  highly  esteemed  and  beloved.  His  labors  were 
greatly  blessed  in  the  conviction  and  conversion  of  sinners, 
and  the  hearts  of  the  preachers  and  people  were  greatly 
drawn  to  him.  No  other  man  wielded  so  powerful  an  in- 
fluence over  the  people  of  this  section ;  no  man  enjoyed  more 
entirely  the  public  confidence.  Not  a  breath  of  suspicion 
had  fallen  upon  his  religious  character  in  all  his  goings  "  in 
and  out  before  the  people."  He  had  conducted  himself  as 
a  man  of  God  and  a  Methodist  preacher. 

And  now  we  approach  a  period  that  was  marked  by  con- 
tentions and  bitterness  better  to  be  forgotten  but  for  the 


In  North  Carolina  and    Virginia.  295 

lessons  they  taught.  In  order  to  do  justice  to  the  memory 
of  O'Kelly,  we  must  remember  the  power  with  which  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  invested  Bishop  Asbury.  Coke 
spent  the  greater  part  of  his  time  abroad,  where  he  could 
not  exercise  his  episcopal  functions,  and  he  had  signed  a 
written  agreement  never  to  station  the  preachers  except  in 
the  absence  of  Bishop  Asbury.  The  British  Conference, 
after  the  death  of  Mr.  Wesley,  had  provided  for  the  sub- 
mission of  the  appointments,  made  by  the  President,  to  the 
vote  of  the  Conference;  but  in  America,  Asbury  had  full 
power  to  station  the  preachers  where  he  pleased ;  there  was 
no  appeal  whatsoever  from  his  decision,  and  there  was  no 
earthly  tribunal  to  which  he  was  accountable  for  his  actions. 
No  General  Conference  had  been  held  since  the  one  in  1784, 
which  organized  the  Church,  and  elected  the  bishops.  No 
provision  had  been  made  for  holding  another,  and  there  was 
no  organized  body  competent  to  try  a  bishop  for  any  mis- 
demeanor. As  Methodism  advanced,  it  was  seen  to  be  nec- 
essary to  have  a  general  meeting  of  the  preachers  of  some 
sort,  in  order  to  maintain  organic  unity.  Coke  wanted  a 
General  Conference.  Asbury  objected,  and  it  was  finally 
agreed  to  have  a  "  council,"  to  be  composed  of  the  bishops 
and  the  presiding  elders,  to  take  under  consideration  all  of 
the  general  interests  of  the  Church.  The  council  was  to 
meet  at  the  bishops'  discretion,  and  as  the  appointing  power 
was  vested  in  them,  they  chose  the  presiding  elders — the 
members  of  the  council.  An  action  of  the  council,  however, 
was  not  to  be  binding  on  an  Annual  Conference  that  pro- 
tested against  such  action ;  so  that  we  are  prepared  to  learn 
that  the  idea  of  a  "council"  was  abandoned  by  the  time  it 
had  held  two  sessions.  It  met  with  little  favor  in  any 
quarter.  In  1789,  the  following  curious  question  and  an- 
swer appear  on  the  minutes:  "Who  are  the  persons  that 
exercise  the  episcopal  office  in  Europe  and  America?     An- 


296  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

Bwer.  John  Wesley,  Thomas  Coke,  and  Francis  Asbury,  by 
regular  order  and  succession."  The  latter  clause  of  the  an- 
swer is  left  off  in  the  bound  reprints  of  the  minutes,  but  is 
mentioned  by  both  Jesse  Lee  and  Nathan  Bangs ;  the  latter, 
as  Dr.  Stevens  says,  "animadverts  curiously"  on  its  "pecul- 
iar phraseology." 

O'Kolly  objected  to  what  he  termed  the  "one-man  power" 
of  the  episcopacy,  and  was  bitterly  opposed  to  the  term 
"bishop."  The  first  that  we  hear  of  his  dissatisfaction  is 
the  following  in  Asbury's  journal,  under  date  of  January  12, 
1790:  "I  received  a  letter  from  the  presiding  elder  of  this 
district,  James  O'Kelly.  He  makes  heavy  complaints  of 
my  power,  and  bids  me  stop  for  one  year,  or  he  must  use 
his  influence  against  me.  Power,  power!  there  is  not  a  vote 
given  in  a  Conference  in  which  the  presiding  elder  has  not 
greatly  the  advantage  of  me.  All  the  influence  I  am  to 
gain  over  a  company  of  young  men  in  a  district  must  be 
done  in  three  weeks;  the  greater  part  of  them,  perhaps,  are 
seen  by  me  only  at  Conference,  whilst  the  presiding  elder 
has  had  them  with  him  all  the  year,  and  has  had  the  great- 
est opportunity  of  gaining  influence.  This  advantage  may 
be  abused — let  the  bishops  look  to  it — but  who  has  the  pow- 
er to  lay  an  embargo  on  me,  and  to  make  of  none  effect  the 
decision  of  all  the  Conferences  of  the  Union?"  Again,  un- 
der date  of  August  21,  1791,  he  writes:  "I  received  the 
olive-branch  from  Virginia.  All  is  peace ;  it  was  obtained 
by  a  kind  letter  from  me  to  O'Kelly."  Coke  tells  us,  in 
his  letter  to  the  General  Conference  of  1808,  that  he  had 
prevailed  on  O'Kelly  to  remain  in  the  Connection,  together 
with  his  thirty-six  preachers,  and  submit  the  matter  in  dis- 
pute to  a  General  Conference;  and  Asbury  says  that  the 
General  Conference  was  called  for  this  purpose.  It  met  in 
Baltimore,  in  1792.  The  chief  matter  that  came  up  for  its 
deliberation  was  the  resolution  offered  by  O'Kellv,  viz.: 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  297 

"After  the  bishop  appoints  the  preachers  at  the  Confer- 
ence to  their  several  circuits,  if  any  one  think  himself  in- 
jured by  the  appointment,  he  shall  have  liberty  to  appeal  to 
the  Conference  and  state  his  objections ;  and  if  the  Confer- 
ence approve  his  objections,  the  bishop  shall  appoint  him  to 
another  circuit." 

Asbury  regarded  this  resolution  as  a  reflection  on  his 
administration,  and  retired  from  the  Conference,  leaving 
Dr.  Coke  to  preside.  The  debate  that  followed  lasted  nearly 
a  week,  and  exhibited  the  deliberative  talent  of  the  body. 
The  ablest  men  of  American  Methodism  were  arrayed 
against  each  other.  O'Kelly,  Ivey,  Hull,  Garrettson,  and 
Swift  led  for  the  affirmative;  Lee,  Willis,  Morrell,  Everett, 
and  Reed  for  the  negative.  They  were  all  chieftains  in 
the  Thundering  Legion,  and  were  famous  throughout  the 
Connection  for  their  pulpit  eloquence.  "Coke,"  says 
Stevens,  "however  anxious  for  the  issue  of  the  contro- 
versy, sat  in  the  chair  wrapped  in  admiration  of  the  talent 
it  elicited." 

Lee,  in  his  journal,  quoted  by  Thrift,  says: 

"Thursday,  1st  of  November. — The  General  Conference 
commenced  in  Baltimore. 

"  Monday,  5th. — We  spent  the  wThole  day  in  debating  one 
point,  viz. :  '  Whether  or  not  a  preacher  that  thinks  him- 
self injured  in  his  appointment  to  a  circuit  shall  have  an 
appeal  to  the  District  Conference.'  We  had  long  and  close 
debates,  and  at  five  o'clock  we  went  to  the  Dutch  Church, 
and  about  eight  o'clock  we  broke  up,  and  a  majority  was 
for  no  appeal.  Some  of  the  preachers  were  much  dissatis- 
fied about  it,  after  it  was  decided. 

"  Tuesday,  6th. — James  O'Kelly  wrote  a  letter  to  the  Con- 
ference, that  he  should  leave  the  traveling  connection  on 
account  of  the  vote  that  was  taken  the  night  before.  When 
the  letter  was  read,  many  of  the  preachers  wept  heartily. 


298  The  Pioneer*  of  Methodism 

It  was  a  sorrowful  day  to  me,  yet  I  could  say,  The  will  of 
the  Lord  be  done." 

Thomas  Ware  says:  "It  was  allowed  on  all  hands  that  no 
sacrifice  could  be  too  great  to  accomplish  the  object  we  had 
in  view — namely,  the  salvation  of  souls;  but  the  question 
was,  whether  the  means  were  the  most  perfectly  adapted  to 
the  accomplishment  of  that  object;  whether  for  this  purpose 
so  large  a  body  of  men  should  hold  themselves  ready  to  go 
wherever  the  general  superintendent  should  deem  it  best  in 
his  judgment  to  send  them.  The  number  of  traveling 
preachers  was  at  this  time  two  hundred  and  thirty-six. 
Had  O'Kelly's  proposition  been  differently  managed,  it 
might  possibly  have  been  carried.  For  myself,  at  first  I 
did  not  see  any  thing  very  objectionable  in  it.  But  when 
it  came  to  be  debated,  I  very  much  disliked  the  spirit  of 
those  who  advocated  it,  and  wondered  at  the  severity  in 
which  the  movers,  and  others  who  spoke  in  favor  of  it,  in- 
dulged in  the  course  of  their  remarks.  Some  of  them  said 
that  it  was  a  shame  for  a  man  to  accept  of  such  a  lordship, 
much  more  to  claim  it;  and  that  they  who  would  submit  to 
this  absolute  dominion  must  forfeit  all  claims  to  freedom, 
and  ought  to  have  their  ears  bored  through  with  an  awl,  and 
to  be  fastened  to  their  master's  door,  and  become  slaves  for 
life.  One  said  that  to  be  denied  such  an  appeal  was  an 
insult  to  his  understanding,  and  a  species  of  tyranny  to 
Avhich  others  might  submit  if  they  chose,  but  for  his  part 
he  must  be  excused  for  saying  he  could  not.  The  advocates 
of  the  opposite  side  were  more  dispassionate  and  argument- 
ative. They  urged  that  Wesley,  the  father  of  the  Method- 
ist family,  had  devised  the  plan,  and  deemed  it  essential  for 
the  preservation  of  the  itinerancy.  They  said  that,  accord- 
ing to  the  showing  of  O'Kelly,  Wesley,  if  he  were  alive, 
ought  to  blush,  for  he  claimed  the  right  to  station  the 
preachers  to   the  day  of  his  death.     The   appeal,   it  was 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  2D!) 

urged,  was  rendered  impracticable  on  account  of  the  many 
serious  difficulties  with  which  it  was  encumbered.  Should 
one  preacher  appeal,  and  the  Conference  say  his  appoint- 
ment should  be  altered,  the  bishop  must  remove  some  other 
one  to  make  him  room;  in  which  case  the  other  might  com- 
plain and  appeal  in  his  turn ;  and  then  again  the  first  might 
appeal  from  the  new  appointment,  or  others  whose  appoint- 
ments these  successive  alterations  might  interrupt.  Hear- 
ing all  that  was  said  on  both  sides,  I  was  finally  convinced 
that  the  motion  for  such  an  appeal  ought  not  to  carry." 

As  we  have  seen,  the  Conference  received  O'Kelly's  letter 
of  withdrawal  with  deep  regret.  A  committee  was  at  once 
appointed  to  wait  upon  him  and  induce  him  to  come  back. 
Garrettson,  who  had  sided  with  him  in  the  debate,  was  one 
of  the  committee.  He  says  of  the  interview:  "  Many  tears 
were  shed,  but  we  were  not  able  to  reconcile  him  to  the  de- 
cision of  the  Conference.  His  wound  was  deep,  and  appar- 
ently incurable."  Coke  also  had  an  interview  with  him,  but 
to  no  purpose.  Taking  their  saddle-bags,  great-coats,  and 
other  baggage  on  their  shoulders,  they  set  off  for  Virginia, 
walking  twelve  miles  to  the  place  where  their  horses  had 
been  kept  during  the  Conference. 

The  Conference,  while  it  regretted  the  departure  of  the 
brethren,  did  not  anticipate  any  further  trouble,  although 
Lee  thought  it  possible  that  O'Kelly  might  "become  the 
head  of  a  party."  At  the  request  of  Asbury,  a  resolution 
was  passed  allowing  the  dissenting  preachers  to  continue  to 
preach  in  Methodist  churches,  and  voted  to  give  O'Kelly 
his  usual  forty  pounds  per  annum,  as  he  was  "  almost  worn 
out,"  "  provided  he  would  be  peaceable,  and  forbear  to  ex-^ 
cite  divisions."  But  O'Kelly  did  not  long  consent  to  receive 
the  money  on  such  a  stipulation.  Lee's  prediction  proved 
correct.  He  "excited  divisions"  as  no  other  man  could 
have  done;  and,  though  it  sounds  strange  to  us  now,  among 


300  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

those  who  withdrew  with  him  were  William  McKendree — 
afterward  one  of  the  most  saintly  bishops  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church — and  Rice  Haggard. 

The  following  letter,  written  shortly  after  the  separation, 
gives  expression  to  O'Kelly's  feelings  at  the  time: 

"  To  Dear  Brother  Nicholson,  Local  Preacher: 

"  O  my  brother !  Alas !  my  brother.  I  beseech  God  to 
grant  you  a  share  in  every  blessing  of  the  everlasting  cov- 
enant. O  brother,  the  heart  knows  its  own  bitterness!  I 
am  too  often  giving  way  to  the  overflowings  of  a  full  heart. 
O  the  heart-breaking  thoughts!  the  Methodist  preachers 
who  stood  together  like  regular  soldiers  are  now  afraid  of 
each  other,  as  you  told  me  last  evening  that  you  feared  me! 
Fearful  prelude  to  a  universal  decline,  or  a  fearful  separa- 
tion! Find  out  the  cause;  search  for  the  Achan.  One 
there  is  in  our  camps;  and  if  the  lot  justly  falls  on  me,  cast 
me  away,  and  there  will  be  a  calm.  But  be  sure,  before 
God,  to  give  me  justice.  I  am  not  given  to  change.  A 
Methodist  I  am,  and  how  can  I  change?  The  elders  to  the 
North,  not  knowing  what  to  accuse  me  of,  make  me  their 
table  laugh;  still  I  am  loath  to  go  away.  What  have  I 
done?  overturned  government?  What?  the  council — not 
Methodism.  I  only  say  no  man  among  us  ought  to  get  into 
the  apostle's  chair  with  the  keys,  and  stretch  a  lordly  power 
over  the  ministers  and  kingdom  of  Christ.  'T  is  a  human 
invention,  a  quicksand;  and  when  my  gray  hairs  may  be 
preserved  under-ground,  I  may  be  remembered.  We  ought 
to  respect  the  body  before  any  mere  man.  A  consolidated 
government  is  always  bad.  We  have  published  that  we 
believed  a  General  Conference  to  be  injurious  to  the  Church. 
District  Conferences  have  lost  their  suffrages;  men  of  wit 
will  leave  the  traveling  connection.  Boys  with  their  keys, 
under  the  absolute  sway  of  one  who  declares  his  authority 


Iii  North  Carolina  and   Virginia.  301 

and  succession  from  the  apostles — these  striplings  must  rule 
and  govern  Christ's  Church,  as  master-workmen ;  as  though 
they  could  finish  such  a  temple.  People  are  to  depend  on 
their  credibility.  These  things  are  so ;  I  know  what  I  say ; 
I  am  able,  when  called  upon,  to  answer  it.  I  am  a  friend 
to  Christ — to  his  Church,  but  not  to  prelatic  government. 
If  you  will  read  the  bishop's  address  to  me  and  others  of 
the  preachers  who  oppose  the  late  proceedings,  there  you 
will  find  the  heresy  reflections — and  the  manner  of  the 
new  constitution;  but,  unless  you  look  over  and  over  it, 
't  is  hard  to  understand.  My  dear  brother,  farewell ;  re- 
ject me,  all  of  you,  and  let  me  feel  the  sneers,  the  frowns 
of  strangers.  My  days  are  few  among  you ;  when  the  mem- 
bers reject  me,  I  drop  my  journeyings.     I  am,  etc., 

"James  O'Kelly." 

We  pass  over  the  long  and  bitter  controversy,  the  crim- 
inations and  recriminations  that  ensued.  O'Kelly  became 
the  founder  of  the  Republican  Methodist  Church,  and  car- 
ried with  his  party  many  preachers,  members,  and  churches 
from  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church;  but  the  enterprise 
failed,  and  he  and  his  followers  assumed  the  title  of  Chris- 
tian Church — a  denomination  that  still  survives  him. 

In  August,  1802,  Asbury  writes  in  his  journal:  "Mr. 
O'Kelly  having  been  taken  ill  in  town  (Winchester,  Va.), 
I  sent  two  of  our  brethren — Reed  and  Walls — to  see  him, 
by  whom  I  signified  to  him  that  if  he  wished  to  see  me  I 
would  wait  on  him.  He  desired  a  visit,  which  I  made  him 
on  Monday,  August  23.  We  met  in  peace,  asked  of  each 
other's  welfare,  talked  of  persons  and  things  indifferently, 
prayed,  and  parted  in  peace.  Not  a  word  was  said  of  the 
troubles  of  former  times — perhaps  this  is  the  last  interview 
we  shall  have  upon  earth." 

O'Kelly  settled  in  Orange  county,  North  Carolina,  and 


/ 


302  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

lived  to  the  good  old  age  of  ninety-one  years.  He  died  in 
peace,  on  the  16th  day  of  October,  1826,  and  his  remains 
were  buried  at  his  homestead  near  the  church  which  he 
built,  and  which  still  bears  his  name.  His  memory  is  held 
in  veneration  by  all  classes  and  denominations  in  the  county 
where  he  was  one  of  the  first  to  spread  the  knowledge  of 
the  truth,  and  where  he  now  rests  from  his  labors. 


JONATHAN  JACKSON. 

THE  subject  of  this  sketch  deserves  no  mean  mention 
among  the  heroes  of  Southern  Methodism.  His  long 
and  faithful  service,  and  his  immediate  connection  with  the 
laying  of  the  foundation-stones  on  which  others  since  his  day 
have  built,  entitle  his  name  to  a  high  place  in  his  Church's 
history.  So  far  as  we  have  been  able  to  learn,  he  possessed 
no  extraordinary  gifts  to  claim  for  him  distinction — was  not 
brilliant  in  his  conceptions  nor  eloquent  in  his  delivery.  Yet 
he  was  a  patient,  laborious  student ;  a  man  of  deep  piety,  rec- 
ognizing at  all  times  his  accountability  to  God  as  an  "  embas- 
sador for  Christ,"  and  full  of  zeal  for  the  conversion  of  souls. 
Travis  says  of  him:  "He  was  one  that  could  bear  acquaint- 
ance. The  more  you  were  with  him,  the  more  you  were 
brought  to  love  and  admire  him.  He  was  emphatically  a 
man  of  God.  His  piety  was  deep,  his  fervent  zeal  was 
governed  by  knowledge,  and  his  walk  was  in  accordance 
with  the  Bible.  His  preaching  talents  were  not  the  most 
brilliant,  but  his  sermons  were  orthodox,  scriptural,  prac- 
tical, and  experimental;  and  on  the  prophecies  of  Daniel 
he  was  profound." 

He  entered  the  traveling  connection  in  1789,  four  years 
after  the  organization  of  the  Church,  and  at  the  time  that 
Christopher  S.  Mooring  and  Benjamin  Abbott  began  their 
brilliant  and  glorious  careers.     His  first  fields  of  labor  were 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  303 

as  follows:  1789,  Anson;  1790,  Catawba;  1791,  Little  Pe- 
dee.  During  these  years  he  had  for  presiding  elder  the 
saintly. Reuben  Ellis.  It  is  no  improbable  conjecture  that 
the  intimate  relations  which  they  sustained  to  each  other 
had  much  to  do  with  molding  Jackson's  character,  and  that 
he  imbibed  the  spirit  of  that  devoted  servant  of  God — a  spirit 
that  was  so  beautifully  exhibited  in  patient  suffering  and  lov- 
ing labor  in  after-years.  His  next  fields  of  labor  were :  1792, 
New  Hope;  1793,  Charleston;  1794,  Black  Swamp.  Dur- 
ing these  years  he  developed  such  sterling  qualities  that  he 
was  the  next  year  elevated  to  the  office  of  presiding  elder — 
an  office  which  he  maintained  during  fifteen  of  the  twenty- 
six  years  of  his  itinerant  labor.  The  districts  he  traveled 
during  the  first  four  years  lay  in  Georgia,  South  and  North 
Carolina,  and  demanded  indomitable  courage  and  persever- 
ing toil.  Methodism  was  extending  her  borders,  and  these 
districts  embraced  some  of  the  hardest  fields  in  the  Connec- 
tion. In  1799  and  1800  we  find  him  traveling  districts  in 
Virginia,  his  fields  of  labor  extending  over  much  of  the 
territory  then  known  as  the  "Western  wilds,"  and  durino- 
the  latter  year  embracing  Camden  and  Bertie  circuits  in 
North  Carolina. 

The  year  1800  marked  a  new  era  in  the  history  of  Meth- 
odism. With  the  new  century,  the  movement  seemed  to 
imbibe  new  life.  Old  difficulties  which  had  threatened  dis- 
solutions, and  had  impeded  the  progress  of  the  work,  had 
been  settled,  harmony  had  been  restored,  and  Methodism 
took  heart  and  moved  onward.  A  deep  and  wide-reaching 
religious  interest  was  developed  among  the  masses.  This 
interest  was  promoted  by  camp-meetings,  where  thousands 
would  meet  and  remain  for  weeks  at  a  time,  and  during 
the  first  few  years  of  the  new  century  the  history  of  Meth- 
odism is  the  story  of  a  sweeping — almost  uninterrupted — 
revival,   which   bore   every  thing  before  it   as   by   storm. 


304  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

Nothing  was  more  natural  than  that  during  these  periods 
of  time,  wholly  devoted  to  religious  services — or,  rather, 
particularly  devoted  to  the  work  of  inducing  the  ungodly 
to  forsake  their  sins — preachers  and  people  should  fall  into 
religious  excesses.  Such  was  the  case,  and  the  excesses 
were  such  as  to  finally  bring  eamp-meetings  into  disrepute. 
As  earnest  as  any  of  his  brethren,  and  as  fully  devoted  to 
his  Master's  service,  Jackson's  zeal  was  ever  tempered  with 
prudence.  He  guarded  against  disorder,  and  all  through 
his  career  we  may  see  the  traces  of  those  solid  qualities — 
that  good  "  common  sense  " — which  won  for  him  the  -confi- 
dence of  all,  and  made  him  a  trusted  leader  of  the  sacra- 
mental hosts. 

The  following  letter  from  him  to  Bishop  Asbury  will  give 
us  some  idea  of  the  state  of  affairs  on  his  district  at  this  time : 

"Cumberland  Circuit  (Yirg.),  August  20,  1800. 
"  I  have  been  round  the  district,  and,  glory  be  to  God,  I 
have  seen  very  good  and  gracious  times  in  all  the  circuits! 
There  are  prospects  of  a  good  revival ;  but  in  many  parts 
of  Bertie  and  Cumberland  they  have  great  and  powerful 
times,  and  many  have  been  awakened,  converted,  and  add- 
ed to  the  Church;  I  expect  not  less  than  two  hundred. 
The  preachers  were  all  able  to  labor,  and  much  engaged 
in  the  Lord's  work.  The  local  preachers  in  general  seem 
to  be  very  zealous  and  useful.  We  have  great  peace  and 
union  in  this  district.  I  have  not  heard  a  murmur  from 
any  of  our  brethren.  Jonathan  Jackson." 

It  will  be  noticed  that  in  this  letter  great  stress  is  laid 
upon  the  fact  that  harmony  prevailed,  and  that  the  local 
preachers  are  working  well.  How  much  credit  is  due  to 
Jackson  for  this  state  of  affairs,  eternity  alone  will  reveal. 
He  had  encountered  dangers  from  two  sources.  The  influ- 
ence of  James  O'Kellv  was  great  within  the  bounds  of  this 


7//  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  305 

district,  and  the  unhappy  circumstances  attending  his  with- 
drawal, only  eight  years  before,  were  still  fresh  in  the  pub- 
lic mind.  Methodism  had  been  sorely  crippled,  and  the 
work  of  God  retarded  by  the  secession.  Some  of  the  pur- 
est and  noblest  spirits  of  the  movement  had  been  drawn 
from  their  confidence  in  Asbury,  and  the  schism  had  for 
awhile  threatened  the  annihilation  of  the  Church.  These 
wounds  were  only  healing,  when  another  matter,  perhaps 
growing  out  of  it,  was  sprung  upon  the  Church.  The  local 
preachers  claimed  ordination  at  the  hands  of  the  Bishop  to 
the  order  of  elders.  The  motion  was  promptly  met  with 
the  objection  that  only  those  who  were  wholly  devoted  to 
the  work  of  the  ministry  were  eligible  to  elder's  orders.  It 
found  defenders  in  such  men  as  William  Ormond,  by  whom 
the  motion  was  made  at  the  General  Conference  of  1800; 
but  opposed  by  Jesse  Lee  and  others,  it  had  been  lost  by  a 
vote  of  thirty-six  ayes  to  forty-seven  nays.  Nothing  was 
more  natural  than  that  the  local  preachers  should  feel  ag- 
grieved. They  had  ever  proved  valuable  allies  to  the  itin- 
erant preachers,  many  of  the  best  circuits  had  been  explored 
by  them,  and  the  withdrawal  of  their  zeal,  to  any  extent, 
could  only  be  regarded  as  a  calamity  calling  for  the  tears 
of  the  whole  Church. 

In  the  year  1801,  for  the  first  time,  the  districts  appear 
on  the  minutes  by  name.  Heretofore  the  Church  had  had 
presiding  elders  having  the  oversight  of  a  number  of  cir- 
cuits, and  their  fields  were  known  as  districts,  but  no  names 
had  been  given  them,  and  it  was  several  years  afterward 
before  the  boundaries  of  the  districts  and  Conferences  were 
definitely  drawn.  For  instance,  the  city  of  Wilmington 
appears  first  on  one  district  and  then  on  another — one  year 
in  the  Virginia  and  the  next  year  in  the  South  Carolina 
Conference. 

In  1801  New  Berne  District  embraced  Wilmington,  New 
20 


306  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

Berne,  Goshen,  Contentne)T,  Pamlico,  Roanoke,  Tar  River, 
Mattamnskeet,  "and  Banks.  Jackson  appears  as  the  presid- 
ing elder.  Wilmington  was  manned  by  young  Bennet  Ken- 
drick,  who  loomed  up  as  a  brilliant  star  on  the  bosom  of  the 
horizon,  and  rising  rapidly  for  a  few  years,  went  out  forever 
in  the  glory  of  mid-heaven;  while  New  Berne  was  served 
by  Christopher  S.  Mooring,  before  whom  a  long  life  of  toil 
and  suffering  and  usefulness  was  yet  extended. 

In  1802-3  Jackson  was  returned  to  this  district.  In  noth- 
ing is  the  devotion  of  the  early  preachers  to  the  one  work  of 
saving  souls  more  clearly  shown  than  in  their  readiness  to 
assist  their  brethren  on  other  fields  of  labor.  Jackson's 
territory  extended  from  Halifax  and  Franklin  to  New 
Berne  and  Wilmington,  yet  we  find  him  in  the  summer 
of  1802  assisting  the  presiding  elder  of  the  Salisbury  Dis- 
trict, James  Douthit,  and  the  preachers — Daniel  Asbury, 
Ormond,  Pinnell,  Moore,  and  others — in  the  wonderful  re- 
vival with  which  they  were  blessed.  From  Caswell  Circuit, 
on  this  district,  he  wrote  to  Bishop  Asbury  the  following  ac- 
count of  the  state  of  the  work  on  his  charge : 

"Caswell,  North  Carolina,  June  5,  1802. 
"In  Roanoke  Circuit  there  is  a  gracious  revival.  There 
have  been  additions  to  the  societies,  and  some  have  pro- 
fessed converting  grace.  We  had  great  congregations 
when  I  visited  the  circuits.  At  a  quarterly -meeting  at 
Malory's  meeting-house,  it  was  the  most  awfully  glorious 
season  I  ever  saw  among  sinners.  I  judged  the  congrega- 
tion was  about  fifteen  hundred.  There  were  but  few  sin- 
ners but  what  were  stricken  with  the  power  of  God;  and 
many  of  the  saints  of  the  Most  High  shouted  as  if  they 
had  taken  the  kingdom.  Tar  River  quarterly-meeting  also 
was  attended  with  the  power  and  presence  of  the  Most  High 
God.  Jonathan  Jackson." 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  307 

We  have  before  observed  that  about  this  time  camp-meetings 
began  to  be  generally  introduced.  In  Eastern  North  Carolina 
they  were,  we  believe,  comparatively  free  from  those  excesses 
with  which  they  were  attended  in  the  West,  and  which  finally 
brought  them  into  disfavor.  The  following  letter  from  Jack- 
son to  Asbury,  touching  upon  the  work  accomplished  by  them, 
and  the  manner  in  which  they  were  conducted,  may  prove  of 
interest: 

"New  Berne  District,  December  16,  1803. 
"  The  greatest  times  we  have  had  have  been  at  our  camp- 
meeting.  Great  pains  have  been  used  to  prevent  irregulari- 
ties and  disorders,  which  has  so  far  won  the  hearts  of  the  peo- 
ple to  them  that  they  want  camp-meetings  almost  everywhere. 
It  is  impossible  to  tell  the  good  which  has  been  done  at  them ; 
for  while  some  have  been  crying  for  mercy,  others  shouting 
the  praises  of  the  Most  High,  there  would  not  be  a  sinner 
found  who  would  open  his  mouth  against  the  work.  At  the 
first  camp-meeting  I  suppose  there  were  twenty-seven  con- 
verted; several  at  the  second  and  third,  about  ten  at  the 
fourth,  and  about  sixty-seven  at  the  last  which  was  held  in 
my  district.  In  the  lower  part  of  the  district  we  have  had 
the  greatest  seasons  that  have  been  ever  seen,  and  I  hope  the 
wrork  will  go  on  and  prosper. 

"I  am,  etc.,  Jonathan  Jackson." 

In  1804  we  find  the  old  veteran  presiding  elder  on  Swanna- 
noa  District,  his  field  embracing  Swannanoa,  Morganton,  Un- 
ion, and  Saleuda  circuits.  The  next  year  he  traveled  Holstein 
District,  embracing  as  it  did  Holstein,  Nollie-chuckie,  French 
Broad,  New  River,  Clinch,  and  Powell's  Valley  circuits.  This 
frontier  work  proved  to  be  too  laborious  for  him.  His  phys- 
ical strength  gave  way  beneath  the  toilsome  labors  and  the 
privations  to  which  he  was  subjected,  and  the  year  following 
his  name  appears  on  the  minutes  as  the  solitary  supernumer- 


308  The  Pioneers  qf  Methodism 

ary  of  the  Western  Conference.  The  next  year  lie  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  South  Carolina  Conference,  where  he  continued 
to  travel  until  1815,  -when  he  located.  Twenty-six  years  of 
his  life  he  had  given  to  the  itinerant  service  of  the  Church, 
when  he  retired  to  the  local  ranks,  and  during  those  years 
he  had  made  a  record  preserved  nowhere  but  in  the  book 
of  God's  remembrance.  Nor  did  he  cease  to  labor  in  the 
cause  of  the  Master  when  he  entered  the  local  relation.  To 
the  day  of  his  death  he  was  a  true  friend  to  the  Church, 
ever  ready  to  spend  and  be  spent  in  her  service.  "The 
memory  of  the  just  is  blessed."  The  examples  of  such  men 
form  one  of  the  grandest  legacies  of  the  Church,  and  the  re- 
cital of  their  deeds,  the  story  of  their  self-sacrifice  and  de- 
votion, will  continue  to  awaken  the  same  spirit  in  others, 
and  inspire  others  to  like  deeds  of  Christian  heroism,  So 
long  as  their  memory  is  perpetuated. 

The  good  man's  end  was  as  serene  and  peaceful  as  the  close 
of  a  tranquil  summer  day.  The  same  quiet  trust  that  had 
marked  his  whole  ministerial  life  shed  a  halo  around  his 
dying-bed.  There  was  light  in  the  valley,  but  he  was  not 
surprised  to  find  it  so.  No  song,  no  shout  found  expression 
in  his  expiring  breath,  but  "  leaning  upon  the  very  breast  of 
the  Son  of  God,"  he  "  felt  the  throbbing  of  Infinite  Love," 
and  all  was  peace.  To  him  it  was  no  surprise  that  He  who 
had  never  left  him  or  forsaken  him  should  draw  nigh  unto 
him  in  the  dying-hour,  and  gently  bear  him  over  the  cold 
flood.  With  the  loving  confidence  of  a  child  he  looked,  for 
the  Father's  presence,  and  he  was  not  disappointed. 

He  set  as  sets  the  morning-star,  which  goes 
Not  down  behind  the  darkened  west,  nor  hides 
Obscured  amid  the  tempest  of  the  sky, 
But  melts  away  into  the  light  of  heaven. 

As  the  shades  of  evening  gathered  about  his  pillow,  a  broth- 
er preacher,  who  was  there  to  witness  the  closing  scene,  asked, 


Li  Xortli  Co  roll  a 'i  and  Virginia.  309 

"Brother  Jackson,  do  you  know  me?"  "No,"  replied  the 
dying  saint.  He  was  then  asked  if  he  knew  his  wife,  and 
again  the  answer  faintly  came,  "  No."  Once  again  the  preach- 
er aroused  him  to  ask,  " Do  you  know  Jesus?"  "Jesus!"  he 
replied,  as  if  the  sound  of  that  precious  name  had  recalled 
him  from  the  valley  which  he  was  entering.  "Yes,  I  have 
known  my  Jesus  for  better  than  forty  years."  And  so  he 
died. 

"To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  give  to  eat  of  the  hidden 
manna,  and  will  give  him  a  white  stone,  and  in  the  stone  a 
new  name  written,  which  no  man  knoweth  saving  he  that 
receiveth  it." 

Note. — We  take  the  liberty  of  appending  the  following 
note  from  Kev.  S.  J.  Hill,  of  Little  Rock,  S.  C,  to  the  au- 
thor after  the  above  sketch  had  been  written : 

"Jonathan  Jackson  was  born  August  22,  1758;  was  con- 
verted in  November,  1784;  began  traveling  in  May,  1788; 
married  Mrs.  Margaret  Roberts  (I  think  of  Tennessee) ;  died 
February  13, 1831.  He  had  no  children.  He  was  my  great- 
uncle.  The  above  record  I  took  from  the  old  family  Bible.  I 
think  it  likely  he  was  related  to  'Stonewall'  Jackson.  If  I 
mistake  not,  they  came  from  the  same  locality — both  Meth- 
odists by  birth,  both  named  Jonathan." 

He  bequeathed  his  property  to  Rev.  Jacob  Hill,  who  now 
sleeps  beside  him  in  Rehoboth  church-yard,  Catawba  countv, 
K  C. 


310  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

HENRY  EVANS,  OF  FAYETTEVILLE. 

[Incomplete  as  this  work  necessarily  is,  it  would  be  sadly  more  so 
were  no  mention  made  in  it  of  Henry  Evans,  the  saintly  colored 
preacher  of  Fayetteville.  But  an  abler  pen,  drawing  upon  memories 
of  personal  acquaintance  and  friendly  associations,  has  left  us  a  pict- 
ure of  his  character;  and  we  have  taken  the  liberty  to  transcribe  the 
touching  sketch  just  as  it  appears  in  Bishop  Capers's  Autobiography.] 

THE  most  remarkable  man  in  Fayetteville  when  I  went 
there,  and  who  died  during  my  stay,  was  a  negro,  by 
the  name  of  Henry  Evans.  I  say  the  most  remarkable  in 
view  of  his  class;  and  I  call  him  negro  with  unfeigned  re- 
spect. He  was  a  negro ;  that  is,  he  was  of  that  race,  without 
any  admixture  of  another.  The  name  simply  designates 
the  race,  and  it  is  vulgar  to  regard  it  with  opprobrium.  I 
have  known  and  loved  and  honored  not  a  few  negroes  in  my 
life,  who  were  probably  as  pure  of  heart  as  Evans,  or  any- 
body else.  Such  were  my  old  friends  Castile  Selby  and  John 
Boquet,  of  Charleston;  Will  Campbell  and  Harry  Myrick, 
of  AVilmington;  York  Cohen,  of  Savannah,  and  others  I 
might  name.  These  I  might  call  remarkable  for  their  good- 
ness. But  I  use  the  word  in  a  broader  sense  for  Henry 
Evans,  who  wTas  confessedly  the  father  of  the  Methodist 
Church,  white  and  black,  in  Fayetteville,  and  the  best 
preacher  of  his  time  in  that  quarter ;  and  he  was  so  remark- 
able as  to  have  become  the  greatest  curiosity  of  the  town ; 
insomuch  that  distinguished  visitors  hardly  felt  that  they 
might  pass  a  Sunday  in  Fayetteville  without  hearing  him 
preach.  Evans  was  from  Virginia ;  a  shoe-maker  by  trade, 
and,  I  think,  was  born  free.  He  became  a  Christian  and  a 
Methodist  quite  young,  and  was  licensed  to  preach  in  Vir- 
ginia. W'hile  yet  a  young  man,  he  determined  to  remove 
to  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  thinking  that  he  might  suc- 
ceed best  there  at  his  trade.  But  having  reached  Fayette- 
ville on  his  way  to  Charleston,  and  something  detaining  him 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  311 

for  a  few  days,  his  spirit  was  stirred  at  perceiving  that  the 
people  of  his  race  in  that  town  were  wholly  given  to  pro- 
fanity and  lewdness,  never  hearing  preaching  of  any  de- 
nomination,  and    living   emphatically   without    hope    and 
without  God  in  the  world.     This  determined  him  to  stop 
in  Fayetteville ;    and  he  began  to  preach  to  the  negroes, 
with  great  effect.     The  town  council  interfered,  and  noth- 
ing in  his  power  could  prevail  with  them  to  permit  him  to 
preach.     He  then  withdrew  to  the  sand-hills,  out  of  town, 
and  held  meetings  in  the  woods,  changing  his  appointments 
from  place  to  place.     No  law  was  violated,  while  the  coun- 
cil was  effectually  eluded;  and  so  the  opposition  passed  into 
the  hands  of  the  mob.     These  he  worried  out  by  changing 
his  appointments,  so  that  when  they  went  to  work  their  will 
upon  him  he  was  preaching  somewhere  else.     Meanwhile, 
whatever  the  most  honest  purpose  of  a  simple  heart  could 
do  to  reconcile  his  enemies  was  employed  by  him  for  that 
end.     He  eluded  no  one  in  private,  but  sought  opportunities 
to  explain  himself;  avowed  the  purity  of  his  intentions;  and 
even  begged  to  be  subjected  to  the  scrutiny  of  any  surveil- 
lance that  might  be  thought  proper  to  prove  his  inoffensive- 
ness;  any  thing,  so  that  he  might  but  be  allowed  to  preach. 
Happily  for  him  and  the  cause  of  religion,  his  honest  coun- 
tenance and  earnest  pleadings  were  soon  powerfully  seconded 
by  the  fruits  of  his  labors.     One  after  another  began  to  sus- 
pect their  servants  of  attending  his  preaching,  not  because 
they  were  made  worse,  but  wonderfully  better.     The  effect 
on  the  public  morals  of  the  negroes,  too,  began  to  be  seen, 
particularly  as  regarded  their  habits  on  Sunday  and  drunk- 
enness. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  mob  was  called  off  by  a  change 
in  the  current  of  opinion,  and  Evans  was  allowed  to  preach 
in  town.  At  that  time  there  was  not  a  single  church-edifice 
in  town,  and  but  one  congregation  (Presbyterian )3  who  wor- 


312  Tlie  Pioneers  of  Methodism 

sbiped  in  what  was  called  the  State-house,  under  which  was 
the  market;  and  it  was  plainly  Evans  or  nobody  to  preach 
to  the  negroes.  Now,  too,  of  the  mistresses  there  were  not 
a  few,  and  some  masters,  who  were  brought  to  think  that 
the  preaching  which  had  proved  so  beneficial  to  their  serv- 
ants might  be  good  for  them  also;  and  the  famous  negro 
preacher  had  some  whites  as  well  as  blacks  to  hear  him. 
From  these  the  gracious  influence  spread  to  others,  and  a 
meeting-house  was  built.  It  was  a  frame  of  wood,  weather- 
hoarded  only  on  the  outside,  "without  plastering,  about  fifty 
feet  long  by  thirty  feet  wide. 

Seats,  distinctly  separated,  were  at  first  appropriated  to 
the  -whites,  near  the  pulpit.  But  Evans  had  already  become 
famous,  and  these  seats  were  insufficient.  Indeed,  the  ne- 
groes seemed  likely  to  lose  their  preacher,  negro  though  he 
was,  while  the  whites,  crowded  out  of  their  appropriate  seats, 
took  possession  of  those  in  the  rear.  Meanwhile  Evans  had 
represented  to  the  preacher  of  Bladen  Circuit  how  things 
were  going,  and  induced  him  to  take  his  meeting-house 
into  the  circuit,  and  constitute  a  church  there.  And  now, 
there  was  no  longer  room  for  the  negroes  in  the  house  when 
Evans  preached ;  and  for  the  accommodation  of  both  classes, 
the  weatherboards  were  knocked  off  and  sheds  were  added 
to  the  house  on  either  side ;  the  whites  occupying  the  whole 
of  the  original  building,  and  the  negroes  those  sheds  as  a 
part  of  the  same  house. 

Evans's  dwelling  was  a  shed  at  the  pulpit  end  of  the  church. 
And  that  was  the  identical  state  of  the  case  when  I  was  pas- 
tor. Often  was  I  in  that  shed,  and  much  to  my  edification. 
I  have  known  not  many  preachers  who  appeared  more  con- 
versant with  Scripture  than  Evans,  or  whose  conversation 
was  more  instructive  as  to  the  things  of  God.  He  seemed 
always  deeply  impressed  with  the  responsibility  of  his  posi- 
tion; and  not  even  our  old  friend  Castile  was  more  remark- 


In  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  313 

able  for  his  humble  and  deferential  deportment  toward  the 
whites  than  Evans  was.  Nor  would  he  allow  any  partiality 
of  his  friends  to  induce  him  to  vary  in  the  least  degree  the 
line  of  conduct  or  the  bearing  which  he  had  prescribed  to 
himself  in  this  respect;' never  speaking  to  a  white  man  but 
with  his  hat  under  his  arm;  never  allowing  himself  to  be 
seated  in  their  houses;  and  even  confining  himself  to  the 
kind  and  manner  of  dress  proper  for  negroes  in  general, 
except  his  plain  black  coat  for  the  pulpit.  "  The  whites  are 
kind  to  me,  and  come  to  hear  me  preach,"  he  would  say; 
"but  I  belong  to  my  own  sort,  and  must  not  spoil  them." 
And  yet  Henry  Evans  was  a  Boanerges,  and  in  his  duty 
feared  not  the  face  of  man. 

I  have  said  that  he  died  during  my  stay  in  Fayetteville 
this  year  (1810).  The  death  of  such  a  man  could  not  but 
be  triumphant,  and  his  was  distinguishingly  so.  I  did  not 
witness  it,  but  was  with  him  just  before  he  died;  and  as  he 
appeared  to  me,  triumph  should  express  but  partially  the 
character  of  his  feelings,  as  the  word  imports  exultation  at  a 
victory,  or  at  most  the  victory  and  exultation  together.  It 
seems  to  me  as  if  the  victory  he  had  won  was  no  longer  an 
object,  but  rather  as  if  his  spirit,  past  the  contemplation  of 
triumphs  on  earth,  were  already  in  communion  with  heaven. 
Yet  his  last  breath  was  drawn  in  the  act  of  pronouncing  1 
Corinthians  xv.  57:  "Thanks  be  to  God,  which  giveth  us 
the  victory  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  It  was  my 
practice  to  hold  a  meeting  with  the  blacks  in  the  church 
directly  after  morning  preaching  every  Sunday.  And  on 
the  Sunday  before  his  death,  during  this  meeting,  the  little 
door  between  his  humble  shed  and  the  chancel  where  I  stood 
was  opened  and  the  dying  man  entered  for  a  last  farewell  to 
his  people.  He  was  almost  too  feeble  to  stand  at  all,  but 
supporting  himself  by  the  railing  of  the  chancel,  he  said : 
"  I  have  come  to  Bay  mv  last  word  to  you.     It  is  this :  Xone 


314  The  Pioneers  of  Methodism. 

but  Christ.  Three  times  I  have  had  my  life  in  jeopardy  for 
preaching  the  gospel  to  you.  Three  times  I  have  broken  the 
ice  on  the  edge  of  the  water  and  swam  across  the  Cape  Fear 
to  preach  the  gospel  to  you.  And  now,  if  in  my  last  hour 
I  could  trust  to  that  or  to  any  thing  else  but  Christ  crucified, 
for  my  salvation,  all  should  be  lost  and  my  soul  perish  for- 
ever." A  noble  testimony !  Worthy  not  of  Evans  only,  but 
St.  Paul.  His  funeral  at  the  church  was  attended  by  a  great- 
er concourse  of  persons  than  had  been  seen  on  any  funeral 
occasion  before.  The  whole  community  appeared  to  mourn 
his  death,  and  the  universal  feeling  seemed  to  be  that  in 
honoring  the-  memory  of  Henry  Evans  we  were  paying  a 
tribute  to  virtue  and  religion.  He  was  buried  under  the 
chancel  of  the  church  of  which  he  had  been  in  so  remark- 
ablv  a  manner  the  founder. 


The  End. 


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